The Y Factor
by Leonaria Dragonbane
Summary: Two young mutants are attacked in New Orleans and rescued by the X Men. Sequel to The Mirror. You will need to read that first. Please Review. All comments and critiques welcome. Second Draft COMPLETE
1. Ace of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

Ace of Hearts

She looked around. The street was crowded, the perfect opportunity, they would be eating well tonight. She watched the drunken revelers, beads around their necks, laughing and enjoying the spectacle that was Mardi Gras. It was the perfect opportunity for them. All the tourists, all that cash they were carrying, and no one was being careful. She signaled her partner, she didn't have to see his eyes to know he had seen her. He started moving through the crowd. The mark was right in front of him. It should have been easy, especially for him, but something was wrong. The mark turned, his eyes turning yellow, and he smiled at her partner, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him toward where she was hiding.

Shit. It was a mutant. He had been caught. It was the first time she had ever seen him caught. Suddenly a hand dropped down on her shoulder. She tried to turn, but found herself held in place by the strong hand on her shoulder. She hoped it was the cops; they could talk their way out of problems with the cops, especially her fast talking partner. Her partner was brought to the alley where she was hiding, the mark holding his right elbow. She could tell he was concerned, even behind his ever present sunglasses.

"Dis not right." He said as he came close. "Let her go, mon ami, Remy is da one dat ya wan'"

"The girl will come along, at least until we have a chance to talk, Mr. LeBeau." Said an elegant voice above her head, she watched in shock as the mark began to shift, turning blue, and forming very feminine curves. Her red hair and yellow eyes were quite distinctive. "My Dear, let us get off the street." The blue mutant smiled a cold smile.

"Mike, chere, we in dis t'gether, non." Remy said to her as she was spun around and pushed further into the alley. There was a van at the end, and the two of them were forced into the open door. There were no windows in the back of the van, and Mike and Remy were seated facing the back of the van. Mike tried to count turns, anything that could tell her where in the maze of the French Quarter they were being driven, soon even her sense of direction and knowledge of her home city were confounded. Mike kept glancing over at her partner. They had met when she was just a kid. Foster homes hadn't been fun, and she had run away by the age of eleven.

Her first days on the streets of New Orleans had been hard, but then she had run across this kid. She hadn't known it at first, but he had been watching her for days, to see if she would make it, or go back to the comfort of wherever she had come from. He had bought her dinner, taken her to a place where it was safe to sleep. There had been other kids there, lots of them. They had their own safe place, their own organization, and they survived, well. There were no adults, Remy was the eldest, and he taught them how to survive.

He had told Mike she was a natural, she knew which the best marks were; which marks were the undercover cops, and which high rollers were scam artists. It was just a gut instinct, she didn't understand it, but soon she was his partner, the one who picked the mark, the one who helped plan, especially during tourist season. Mardi Gras could support them for six months or more if they didn't hit any other marks. Slowly her skills grew, and she could almost smell which marks had the most disposable wealth, which ones were good for quick cash, and which ones would be good for some of the other kids to follow home and clean out.

The van stopped. The door opened and the blue woman stepped out the door and grabbed Mike by the collar of her shirt, lifting her out of the van with little effort. Remy jumped up, to try to protect her, but got a foot in the gut for his trouble. Mike was slammed against the side of the van, a blindfold tied over her eyes, and her hands bound tightly behind her before she was lifted up and carried. She listened carefully, and paid attention to the smells. They were near the river front, sounded like an old warehouse; she could smell the silt and sediment from the Old Man, and the echoes off the walls. She could tell they took her through a door by the compression of the echoes of the footsteps of the person carrying her. She knew it wasn't the blue woman. It smelled like a man. She was thrown into a chair, and a band tightened around her chest, holding her in place.

She could hear voices, further back, Remy, the old man and the blue woman. Remy was arguing with them, and she could hear blows against his flesh.

"My Dear, please, that is no way to convince this young man to help us." The old man was saying. It sounded like it was the blue woman doing the hitting.

"I don't see why not. He is a useless sack of swamp garbage; I don't know why we need him anyway." Mike could hear a high pitched masculine chuckle near by.

"You are so going to get it, Mystique." She heard the man say softly under his breath. She knew he thought she couldn't hear him, and that allowed her to pick up another clue. Mystique, she had heard that name, and recently. It had been something about an attack on a Friends of Humanity meeting up near Shreveport, an attack by the Brotherhood of Mutants.

"Keep yu're hands to yu'reself," She could hear Remy shouting, as another blow landed on him. "Remy not goin' ta put up wit dis much longer." She could hear him; she was the only one who could hear that telltale little whine as he began to charge something. Something was going to blow up, and soon. She couldn't keep the smile off her face, and whiny voice shook her in the chair.

"What are you grinning at, bitch."

"I tink your boss might be in trouble." She said. He didn't know she could hear him running for the other room. If it had been anyone else in the chair, they might have missed his very soft footfalls. The explosion ripping through the area nearly deafened her. She started twisting her hands, trying to find out what they had tied her with. It was just a zip tie, good; she could take care of that. She reached up with one finger, and gently extended one small hooked claw. Its serrated edge caught the zip tie, and cut it smoothly. She reached up and felt the band around her chest, just a cargo strap even better, and her short claws made short work of it too.

She could hear people moving in the other room as she took of the blindfold. She had been right, it was an old warehouse, and right over the river, there was even a water exit. She grinned. Looks like she and Remy would be swimming out. She looked over and saw him climbing over the debris and bodies, and grinned. His glasses had fallen off, and his red and black eyes grinned back at her. Suddenly a blue hand reached out of the rubble and grabbed his ankle. He kicked it, hard with the other food, and she let go. He jumped out of the way, pulling out the small tube from his pocket. Mike couldn't believe these people were that stupid, letting him keep his staff. He popped it open and smacked the red topped head, hard. Hopefully she would be out for a while.

"That was very well played." Said a voice from above, there hovering above them was the old man, untouched by the blast.

"You can see why I would like you to work with us, my Brother. Your young friend too, I wasn't aware she was a mutant as well." He lowered himself gently to the floor between the two teens. Mike watched as large chunks of debris lifted off the two in the other room. Suddenly the back wall of the warehouse collapsed in, and five people in black leather suits rushed into the room.

"Always interrupting." The old man said as he threw the debris at them. One, who was wearing some sort of visor, started hitting them with red blasts, a dark skinned woman with white hair and white eyes raised her hands and a gust of wind blew many of the smaller pieces back against the wall. A younger girl with dark brown hair rushed over to Mike and grabbed her hand, just as one of the pieces started to fall, it fell through them, crashing to the floor as she was pulled along with the girl. A large man doubled up his fist and just punched anything that came close to him, a fist that seemed to be made of metal. Mike couldn't see the fifth one very well, as she was pulled to the ground by the young girl.

Another explosion rent the air behind her and she knew Remy had taken advantage of the distraction to blast the older guy with one of his cards. This time the blast threw more debris toward Mike and she felt a pain in her leg. She looked down and saw a twisted piece of metal going all the way through her thigh.

"Well that hurts." She said quietly before she passed out.

She heard a roar all around her. She was laying on her side and her leg HURT. She didn't want to open her eyes. She knew the piece of metal was still in there she could feel it fighting against her healing. She could hear Remy arguing with someone nearby.

"Remy don wan leave. Remy has frien's dat need him. Take us back." She could hear him struggling against something.

"I am afraid that is not possible. The police will be arriving at any moment, and we don't want them to know our involvement. Please, give us a chance; we can help you, help you both." A soft cultured feminine voice said.

"Yes, allowing the authorities to become involved in this altercation and learn of our timely rescue could provide some unwelcome attention." Said a deep voice, a voice Mike recognized. She had heard him over and over on the television and radio talking about mutant rights. Remy teased her mercilessly about her crush on the "Ambassador." And from the sound of his voice he was sitting right next to her. She thought she might faint again, and was glad no one knew she was awake. She just started praying to whatever saints might be listening that they hadn't gone through her pockets and found the picture she had cut out of the newspaper last week.

Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her thigh, a hand that sent a tingle all the way up and down her spine.

"Kitten, would you be as kind as to remove this protrusion from the young lady's leg. I believe her healing factor would work so much more efficiently if it were no longer a factor." That voice was right over her head.

"Leave Mike alone, non." She heard Remy struggling again.

"We are just trying to help her." Said the woman's voice again.

"This might hurt her." Said a gentle feminine voice nearby.

"I believe the patient is awake and aware, a suitable warning should be all that is required." Shit he knew she was awake. She opened her eyes and stared right into his blue ones. They were almost the same color blue as his face. She blushed furiously, her body reacting in a way that she almost didn't recognize a tightening low in her gut, and a building ache. Belle had described physical arousal to her once, and this was definitely what she had described.

"Oh my stars and garters…" He whispered a sudden look of revelation on his face. She didn't know exactly what he realized, but she hoped he would whisper like that again. It sent very pleasant shivers all over her, and made her forget the pain in her leg. A pain that suddenly grabbed her complete and total attention and the metal suddenly disappeared, and her healing kicked in. She hated it, when she healed, it HURT, and it felt like the wound reversing itself, and in some cases, like now the healing hurt worse than the initial injury. She screamed in agony. She could hear Remy screaming as well, trying to get to her, and then suddenly the pain was over. Her leg was as good as new, but the blue giant over her was sporting ten claw marks on his arm, where she had dug into it in pain.

"My goodness, young lady, you have quite a grip." He said as she watched the holes close up slowly on each arm. She wanted to cry. She had hurt him; she had drawn his blood with her claws, and knew he would never forgive her. She wanted to sink into the ground and hope he would forget she ever existed.

"Mike, Michelle, are you a'right." Remy said. She looked over to where he was sitting, restrained in a seat in what looked to be the inside of an airplane. Tears welled up in her eyes. _Who were these people?_

"I'm fine, Remy." She sat up, gently taking the hand held out to her by the blue giant. For some strange reason she didn't want to let go of him, but she didn't want to put her claws away either. She wiped across her eyes with the back of her free hand.

"Who are you people?" She asked.

"I am Ororo Monroe" said the dark skinned woman. "This is Kitty Pryde," she was pointing to the young girl that had helped her, "Piotr Rasputin," the big guy with the metal fists, although they didn't look metal now. He had a possessive hand on Kitty's arm. "Scott Summers is flying the plane, and this is Dr. Hank McCoy." She said pointing to the blue giant sitting on the bench next to Mike.

"Michelle DeVarney." She said, her French accent coming thickly through. She was still holding Dr. McCoy's hand, and let go quickly. Suddenly she heard laughter from her partner. He was looking at her hand, the one she had snatched back into her lap and was cradling possessively.

"Remy LeBeau, you shut yu're Cajun mout." She said, as he doubled over as best he could in laughter.

"Chere, but Remy tink it so cute," She kicked out and hit him in the shin, and while everyone was focused on him; she looked at the blood on the tips of her claws. HIS blood, as close as she would come to having any part of the man sitting next to her, the blue giant looked back to her, and handed her a towel to wipe her claws with. She gently wiped them off before retracting them back into her fingertips. The towel she kept in her hand. No one seemed to notice.

"Where you takin us?" Mike asked Ororo

"To our home in New York. You will be much safer there. Magneto isn't one to be trifled with, and if he is looking for you two, we would rather you be safely where he will have difficulty reaching you."

"New Yok" they both shouted. Mike thought she might have said Hell itself.

"It is just temporary, until we find out why Magneto wanted you. Once things are safe and if you don't choose to stay we will return you to New Orleans." Remy grumbled to himself, something about leaving the kids, and at least the fille were nice to look at, so far.

Mike grinned, and next to her Dr. McCoy laughed. She looked over at him out of the corner of her eye. His blue eyes were twinkling with laughter and his white teeth gleamed against his blue skin and fur. She felt every breath of his laughter vibrate through her body. What was happening to her? Ok, so he was totally hot, especially in that black leather outfit he was wearing.

Remy looked over at her, his shades were in his lap, and made this dopy face, big doe eyes and pouty turned down mouth – and then pointed at her and laughed even harder. She shook her head, snarling at him, and reached over and slapped his arm, but that just made him laugh all the harder. She gave up, leaned back and closed her eyes. She never in her wildest dreams ever thought she would meet her idol, and here she was sitting next to him, she felt her body growing warm. Suddenly, with an abrupt movement, as if something had startled him, he stood up and left moving further up toward the cockpit.

She heard the sounds of something being unfastened, and then Remy was sitting next to her, but her side still felt cold.

"You ok, chere?" He asked. All laughter was gone from his voice, and she knew that somehow their rescuers had given them some sort of privacy to talk.

"Yea, what make you tink I'm not." She quipped back. She bit back a snarl. She was on edge. She hated flying, hated being confined and hated knowing she had caused pain to anyone, and not only was he ANYONE, but Dr. Hank McCoy. She didn't know if she was biting back a snarl – or more tears.

"It not dat, it just you look lost fo a second dere, when da big blue 'Grover' ting moved." He whispered. He would tease her mercilessly about her crush, but he also cared, she knew it. He was the closest thing she had to family, and hoped he knew it.

"Be nice, Remy. Dey did save us, non." She whispered back.

"Oui." He didn't sound like he wanted to admit it.

"We was in way ov'r our head an you know it, frère" She said.

"Oui. Remy didn tink we get out o' dat one." He said. Suddenly the plane started to descend. Not a gradual decent, but straight down. Mike grabbed Remy's hand, in fear. "Remy tink des folk have lots o' toys ta play wid non." She laughed with him as the plane slipped lower and lower, and then came to a sudden, slightly jarring stop.

The back of the plane dropped down, and they could see a metal floor outside. The leather clad Kitty and Peter went down the ramp first, Dr. McCoy stopped and gestured the two young people to precede him. They stood up, Remy's duster sweeping the floor behind them as they walked down the ramp. She could hear Scott and Ororo talking back in the plane. Dr. McCoy walked past them, unzipping the front of his outfit as he passed. Mike felt the blood rushing to her face yet again. She had a sudden desire to see him out of that leather outfit, completely. He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes dark and hooded for just a second, before he looked away. She shook her head, and turned to face the welcoming committee.

There were two men and a woman at the end of the ramp. One of the men, an older gentleman, was sitting in a wheel chair. The other man, short with dark hair, and chewing on a cigar glared at the two of them as they came down the ramp. The girl, with dark hair and a white streak in front watched warily as they stopped in front of them.

"I am Charles Xavier" Said the older man, holding out a hand to Remy. Remy cautiously shook it.

"Remy LeBeau, but my frien's call me Gambit." Mike could see he had eyes only for Stripes, and watched as he threw her his most exaggerated wink. Mike just rolled her eyes, which caused the dark haired man to chuckle.

"Michelle DeVarney" She said when it was her turn to shake his hand. "My frien call me Mike."

"Well, Gambit and Mike, Welcome to my school for gifted youth."

"We didn come ta here fo no schoolin." Remy said, his red eyes on the older man, now.

"No, I expect you didn't. These are my associates, Logan and Rogue."

"What kind a name is Rogue, Chere?" Remy asked.

"What kinda name is Gambit, swamp rat?" She shot back. Mike grinned at the feisty southerner. She would definitely give Remy a run for his money. A door opened nearby and a dark haired young man came over.

"Sorry I'm late. My cab was late getting here." Rogue turned and flashed him a brilliant smile. Mike watched the gears in Remy's head start to turn. Uh oh, the last thing Remy needed was to know there was competition. Mike had a sinking feeling they wouldn't be seeing New Orleans any time soon, if Remy had anything to say about it.

"Bobby Drake, this is Remy LeBeau, also known as Gambit, and Michelle DeVarney, also known as Mike."

"Hi" said the young man as he shook their hands. "Welcome to Mutant High.


	2. Two of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

Two of Hearts

Mia sat on the porch, her belly heavy as she waited. She didn't know when Vic would be home. He hadn't said when he left this morning. Her back had been hurting for days. He had rubbed it out last night, but the pain was back again, and stronger. She knew her mother was watching her closely, and that both her parents were angry at Vic for leaving, now of all times. She wasn't due for another week, but the doctor kept telling her that the due date was just an estimate, it could be a week before or a week after.

After the X Men had cleared Vic, and made sure there were no warrants out for him, her parents had convinced them to move back to the farm. The Professor had been in total agreement, keeping Vic and Logan from destroying the mansion with their pranks had been a full time job. That and the fact that they still fought, regularly and bloodily, when they disagreed on anything, it had been decided that half a country between the two would be a good idea, at least until the baby was born, and Vic settled down a bit. Her father and Vic had built a small house on the other side of the barn, close enough if there was trouble but far enough that Vic couldn't hear her parents' outrageous behavior sometimes.

About two weeks after they came back to the farm, Vic had gotten a call. It hadn't been from Erik, but he wouldn't tell her who it was from. He had disappeared for three days, and come back without saying a word. Every now and then he would get another call, and be gone a day or two, and then come back, sometimes with wads of cash, sometimes not, but he was making enough off of what he was doing to keep them comfortable and pay her parents regular rent for the house they were living in.

Her father had given her another lecture yesterday about not being married to him yet. It wasn't that she didn't want to be, but she didn't want to push him. He was always gentle with her, even when he lost his temper and they fought, but she was still a little afraid that if she pushed he would just leave.

The pain was getting worse. She wasn't feeling any pain in her stomach so she just sat there, rocking, and waiting for Vic to get home. Her mother came out with a big glass of lemonade and a plate of cookies. There hadn't been as much baking since her mom had brought the lab gear for the basement home, and her father was complaining every night at dinner about not seeing her for days at a time. Mia just laughed. Her father could spend days in the fields, plowing, planting, spraying, harvesting; sometimes, when he was working in the further fields he would stay overnight. The old double standard was alive and well on the farm.

"Did Vic say where he was going?" Her mother asked for the fifth time that day.

"No, Mom, he didn't"

"When he would be back?"

"No."

"Mia, you are going to have to exert yourself sometime. I know he is, well, probably the absolute worst person to do that with, but you have a baby to consider, and has he done anything to help you?"

"Yes, Mother he has, he and Daddy built me a house, he has furnished it out of his own pocket, he is working somewhere making enough money to support us so I don't have to work, and keeping me out of whatever he is doing so that the baby and I are not in any danger. OUCH." She had another spasm in her back.

Her mother placed a hand on her stomach. The muscles were loose, Mia knew she wasn't in labor, she had promised Vic not to have the baby until he got home. Her mother shook her head and went into the house.

"Charles, I need Hank out at the farm." She could hear her mother on the phone. She didn't want them to come. Hank was ok, but she would rather have her doctor from town.

"No. It's Mia."

"I am not certain, but I think she is starting back labor."

"What do you mean he isn't available?"

"He's WHAT? You have to be joking…a Y factor?"

"Never mind, I can't deal with that right now. Can Jean come?"

"Send Scott…oh."

"No, I'll call the doctor from town, I just don't think she should be moved, Vic isn't home and you know how he is."

Mia pulled her jacket close around her. February in Oklahoma could be weird. Today had been one of those nice days, and she had been tired of sitting inside. Vic would be home. She kept telling herself that. He would be home in time.

As if by the power of positive thinking, the old beat up truck that he drove pulled into the drive. She watched as he pulled up in front of the small house they shared, and then looked over at the porch where she was sitting. He was wearing, of all things, a suit; he even had on a tie. She hadn't been awake when he left this morning, had just mumbled something when he said he would be back, and gone back to sleep. She watched him stride across the farm yard, yanking on the tie as he did. He pulled off the tie and jacket in one movement and unbuttoned the top two buttons of the shirt.

"Darlin, ya shouldn't be out here like this." He sat down on the porch swing with her. Her mother stuck her head out the door and glared at Vic.

"Well, you're finally back."

"I had a job interview, ok." He snapped back.

"Did you get it?" Her mother asked him.

"They'll call me." He reached back and pulled the band holding his hair out. The cool evening breeze caught it, fluffing it out and playing with tendrils against her cheek. Mia leaned over on his chest; his arm slipped around her, and then he stiffened, sniffing the cool Oklahoma breeze.

"Darlin, has someone called the doc?"

"Yes, mother just did."

He stood up and picked her up.

"Vic I am fine." She said as she put her arms around his neck, snuggling against his chest, feeling safe and protected.

"No, you are having a baby. Let's get you to the hospital."

"Victor, the doctor is coming here." Her mother said.

"Oh…" He looked a little lost. He had been busy the last few weeks and hadn't been in on all the plans for a home birth.

"Bring her in, and put her in the back bedroom. It is all set up and ready."

"I am sorry, Nancy. I should have remembered all of this."

"You are allowed to be a little flustered." Her mother cracked a little smile at him.

"So who were you interviewing with?" Her mother asked as he settled Mia onto the bed in the back room.

"Frost Industries, but I am just not sure I want to work for that bit…for Emma Frost." He said.

"Well it would be a regular job, instead of whatever you have been doing." Her mother hinted at him. Mia was the only one _not_ trying to get Vic to tell what he had been doing the last few months.

Victor just glared at her mother, and helped Mia adjust the covers on the bed. He sat in the chair next to the bed and heaved a huge sigh. Mia knew he was nervous about the impending birth, not because of the baby or becoming a father, but because he didn't know how he would react to her pain. Her mother had huge amounts of animal tranquilizers available in case he went berserk. He was the main reason they were having this at home. They didn't want him going crazy in a hospital.

She held his hand, and when she felt another spasm in her back gripped it tightly. He growled at her, but just sat there.

"Do you want me to rub your back?" He said softly. Her mother was hooking up the baby monitor and getting everything ready for the doctor when she got here. Mia had been lucky; the local Ob/Gyn had started out as a midwife, before finishing medical school, and was very much in favor of home deliveries when possible. Mia had been having a text book pregnancy, and Dr. Morgan didn't think there would be any problems. Charles had insisted on leasing the equipment for the room, just in case, he didn't want any problems that could be avoided.

"Just stay with me, baby." She whispered back.

"I'll stay as long as I can." She knew what that meant, if he started to lose it, he was going to take a walk, and find someplace he couldn't smell the blood and pain. He wanted to be here, but he didn't know if he could.

"Victor, please, everything will be fine." Her mother said. Mia looked down; his other hand was clenched on the arm of the chair, his talons through the upholstery. Another spasm hit, hard, and suddenly she felt the ripples across her stomach. It really was happening, not another false alarm.

There was the sound of sirens out front, and her mother ran to the front door. They hadn't been expecting an ambulance. The sound of shouting drifted back to the quiet room, her mother, a man's voice, and Dr. Morgan. Suddenly the door burst open and Daniel Norris stood there. Good old Deputy Studmuffin, and he looked pissed.

"Get your hands off her, you freak." He shouted at Victor, pulling his gun. Victor displayed a great amount of restraint he only stood up, and roared at the man threatening his mate, one hand still clasped in hers.

"Danny, get out." Mia said. Dr. Morgan was trying to push past the former football player in the door.

"I will leave when this freak does. We have an ambulance out front to take you to the hospital and make sure everything is ok."

"Danny, I am having a home delivery. You have no right to interfere. OUCH." She screamed as the first real contraction hit, hard. The doctor pushed against the deputy, and made her way into the room.

"Deputy, please leave, my patient is in labor, and you are not needed here."

"I'll leave when the freak does."

"THE FREAK IS MY BABY'S FATHER YOU IDIOT." Mia screamed through the contraction. Victor started to growl at Danny, but then turned to her; he sat on the edge of the bed and put his arm around her shoulders. His growl turned into a whimper at her pain. If she hadn't been exhausted from the contraction, she might have laughed at that. Her father showed up in the doorway at that point and put an arm on Danny's shoulder.

"Come on, son; let's go to the front room. I sent the ambulance off; we aren't going to need it." Danny tried to shrug the older man's hand off, but found he couldn't. He holstered his gun and allowed himself to be pulled out of the delivery room. Mia leaned back on Victor's arm; she could feel a tension there, something that didn't have to do with the delivery.

"What is it, baby?" She asked her breathing steady. The doctor chose that moment to begin getting her into position on the bed so that she could examine her for dilation. Victor helped her into position, and then looked down at her, pain written all over his face.

"Is that how it is? Am I a FREAK?" He growled at her, pain and anger written on his face.

"NO. Damn it, I had to make him leave. I just repeated what he said. I love you. You are NOT I repeat NOT a freak. I don't and have never seen you that way, EVER." Her eyes closed as the contraction began to build again. "YOU KNOW NOW ISN'T REALLY THE TIME FOR THIS." She shouted through the contraction.

Her mother came to the other side of the bed. "Victor, if you can't help bring your child into this world, then you can get the hell out!" Nancy shouted at the large man. He glared at her, and then took his place, supporting her shoulders. He sat there tense through the next contraction, and then relaxed, and dropped a kiss on her head, and she knew it was alright.

She was in labor only four hours. In the end, she forgot all about the pain, her tiny son curled up in her arms. Victor had stayed through the whole thing, and was still sitting behind her, where he had been holding her, supporting her while she pushed. His arms were around both of them.

"I can't believe he is so small." She said, laughing.

"He takes after his mother." Victor whispered against her ear. One large hand was resting on the tiny baby's stomach. His little fingers curled around Victor's smallest one. He was covered in a soft down of fur, something the doctor had said was normal in a newborn, but Mia knew, it wouldn't just go away. He had too much of his father in him. He had dark eyes, when he opened them, and made the sweetest little noises as he started to root for something against her chest.

"I think my son is hungry, woman." He laughed.

"Getting jealous already?" She quipped.

"Nope. Mia, Darlin, you are so beautiful, both of you." She could hear his voice breaking. She concentrated on the tiny bundle in her arms. She knew he wouldn't want her to acknowledge any sign of him being soft.

There had been the occasional shout from the living room, through the evening, and she knew Danny was still there. She didn't want to send Victor out there, and yet knew he needed to get away from the scents in the room. She could feel his body becoming tenser and tenser, he was wound up like a coiled spring, and she was afraid he was going to snap. She had been surprised he made it through the birth, honestly, very pleased, but surprised. He had even taken all the horrible things she had said to him in stride, freak had been the least of them, and just smiled when the baby was placed in his arms.

Suddenly his phone rang.

"Yeah." He answered it.

"No, I can't."

"No, I am busy."

"NO." He roared into the phone. She heard the plastic case snap. She hoped he wouldn't break this one.

"Send me the information; if I think it needs looking into, in a couple weeks, I will check it out."

"No, damn it, what part of no don't you get. I don't give a shit how much money you are offering, there are just some things that are more important." Danny had burst into the room after the roar, his hand on his gun again.

"Got to go, send the info, I will look into it when I have time, otherwise call someone else." He hung up the phone.

"You got a problem, pig." He asked the man in the door.

"Yea, with you, you freak. Mia is a good kid; she doesn't need to be mixed up with the likes of you." He walked over to the bed, and looked down at the baby nestled against her chest. "Now she has to raise one, too. You freaks should all be shot."

"GET OUT, DANNY." Mia shouted, startling the baby and making him cry. Victor roared to his feet, one hand reaching for the deputy's throat. He backed up, and ran for the door.

"I won't forget this, Mia." He said in a threatening tone.

Mia gently rocked the baby, trying to get him to settle down and go back to nursing. Maybe they should return to the mansion. She was afraid; she had a really bad feeling about the whole thing. Danny had been getting worse, the last few months. He had been harassing Victor and Mia whenever they were in town, to the point that Mia never left the farm anymore. He had been suspended once for trying to run them off the road, while off duty, but the Sheriff just reinstated him.

She knew he had joined that group, the Friends of Humanity. She had tried talking to the Sheriff about it, once, to warn him of how militant they were, but just ignored her 'What Danny does in his own time is his own business' had been his exact words. It had made her realize that the farm wasn't as safe as they thought. Danny was getting ugly, and the Sheriff was turning a blind eye. There had been rumors of even more FoH members in the area, and she was really afraid they would hurt someone.

"Darlin, he can't hurt us. I won't let him." Victor said to her as he sat in the chair by the bed. She knew he could smell her fear, and it was bothering him, but she couldn't help it. It wasn't her she was afraid for, now it was the baby.

"Get some rest, Darlin." Victor said as he stood up. The baby was sleeping so he gently placed him in the bassinet next to the bed, where she could reach him, kissed her on the forehead, and closed the door quietly behind him. She heard him say something to her parents, as she dozed off, and the quiet sound of the door opening, and her mother coming in.

She didn't know how long she was asleep, but a sudden crash woke her up. She looked over at the baby; he was sleeping, just starting to stir. Her mother had left, and left the door open. She sat up, slowly, pain and stiffness causing her to cringe with the movement, and lifted the sleeping infant up into her arms.

"Ok, Thomas, are you going to eat for Mommy, now." She whispered against his tawny head. He was going to have his father's coloring. Suddenly, Victor burst into the room, and without saying a word, scooped them up, blankets and all, out of the bed, and through the door before she had time to think. He ran through the living room, and out the front door, just as a wall of flame erupted from the basement door, next to the room she had been in. Her parents and younger brothers were standing in the yard, Victor didn't even say anything, just kept running, and her parents grabbed the boys and ran after him. They reached the tree line just as the house exploded. Victor stood like a pillar, against the blast wave, protecting her and the baby with his own body. Her parents and brothers landed face down in the dirt. The stood up and brushed themselves off. The night was lit by the fire from the house, and now barn.

"We had better get further back, I have fertilizer in the barn, and there is no way to put this fire out in time." Her father was saying. Victor just started moving. He still hadn't said a word. They moved until they were on the edge of the road. Her mother had grabbed Victor's cell phone and was calling the fire department. She then dialed another number.

"Charles, we need help out here. Someone broke into the house."

"No, Mia and the baby are fine, Victor has them now. The house is a total loss."

"Please."

"No, I want to see if there is anything we can salvage from the basement."

"No, I think the gas line was hit, the whole place blew." Another explosion rent the air. "And there goes the barn." Mia was glad her father had turned the horses out to pasture yesterday in the nice weather. The chickens were a loss, but Lucky and Toto came prancing up at that point a little singed, but otherwise seeming fine.

Victor just stood there, holding her, his eyes like glass. She had never seen him like this, she didn't know if it was rage, fear, or something darker, but she was worried. The baby started making little noises and he finally looked down at them in his arms. He dropped slowly to his knees and then back, sitting on the embankment of the drainage ditch, holding her and the baby close. She could see small tendrils of smoke rising from his shoulders. One of the boys grabbed a blanket and started trying to smother the smoldering bits of fabric on his back.

"It was Norris. I smelled him; he went in the back, and into the basement. I don't know what he was after, I went around the house, and I was going to go in the basement entrance, when I smelled the smoke. All I could think of was getting you and the baby to safety." He was whispering against her hair. He didn't say another word, just rocked her, and the baby, gently, humming tunelessly against her hair, until the roar of the Blackbird's arrival drowned him out.

That was when it hit Mia. The X Men had made it here from New York before the fire department. This was definitely not a good sign. She saw Bobby come running out of the back of the plane, and head back toward the house. She knew the fire would be out quickly - now. Jean and Scott walked over to where the family was huddled in the night. They bundled the boys up in blankets from the plane and Marie walked over to Mia's parents. She could hear them talking, quietly. Bobby came back to report the fire was out.

Nancy walked back toward the house, Frank not far behind her. Bobby and Marie followed them. Mia could tell by the set of her father's shoulders he was furious. They came back about twenty minutes later, a very grave look on her mother's face.

"Scott, we need to get everyone to the mansion." Nancy said. "The basement was a total loss – but I can tell my files are missing. They took all my research into the Y factor."

"Nancy… did you have backups?"

"Yes, I just sent them to Hank last week, and with Mia and the baby, I haven't gotten anything done this week, so all the data is complete. I just don't know what the Friends of Humanity want with my research."

She started pushing the boys toward the back of the plane, Frank walked over to help Victor with his burden. Vic just stood up, as if she and the baby were of no weight at all, and walked to the plane. He was still humming, and the baby was sleeping. He sat in one of the seats, and wouldn't allow her to move. He rested one hand over the baby and leaned back, his head resting against the wall of the plane.

"Vic, what's wrong?" Mia asked quietly.

"This place isn't safe. I nearly lost you and the baby, _again_." That blank glassy hopeless look was in his eyes again; now she was starting to get scared, really scared.

"Victor Creed. You saved all of us. If you hadn't noticed, if you hadn't been aware, we would have all died in that explosion. You get that running look out of your eyes, do you hear me. You are NOT I repeat NOT taking off on me. I need you, Thomas needs you. You SAVED us. YOU! You didn't lose us, we are right here." He had been like this a lot lately, ready to run, ready to bolt. It was the main reason she hadn't said anything about getting married.

He shook his head and looked down at her. "Sorry, Darlin, it just scared me, that's all. I kept seeing you and Thomas inside that house." He was breathing hard. She had only ever seen him this scared once before, when she had been so sick. She reached a hand up and caressed his cheek. He looked down at her, his eyes melting back to a dark brown; he looked at her and the baby and smiled. "I ain't going anywhere, Darlin. I love ya, both." She sighed softly. She heard it so rarely; she wasn't going to let those words escape without savoring them.

He held them close all the way to New York, and helped Jean get her and the baby settled into the med lab. She wanted to monitor them, at least for a day, to make sure everything was ok, and then they would be moved back to the little cabin they had made their first home. 


	3. Three of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

Three of Hearts

She ran down the hallway. Her family had been attacked. What the hell had happened? She slid to a stop in front of the med lab window. Mia and Vic were sitting there, a tiny bundle in Mia's arms. Kit pushed the door open.

"Is everything ok?" She said.

"Oh, other than the whole farm blowing up, everyone is fine." Mia said. The quiet cry of the baby caused both parents to immediately ignore Kit and focus on the tiny bundle.

"Are Mom and Dad ok?"

"They are fine; Reggie and Jason are here too."

"You BLEW up the farm?"

"No, Deputy Studmuffin blew up the farm." Mia said, laughing at the confusion on Kit's face.

"DANNY?" Kit sat down in a chair, hard. This was hard for her to handle. Danny, her high school boyfriend, her date to the prom, the first guy she had ever…no not going to go there. He tried to kill her family?

"Kit, he has been weird, hanging out with these anti mutant people. I think he has even joined the Friends of Humanity idiots. He attacked me and Vic a few times, and pulled his gun on Vic while I was in labor." Kit just shook her head. _Danny?_

It wasn't like things weren't weird enough right now, Logan had been acting strange for the last few months, pushing the plans for the wedding back further and further. She didn't know what was going on, and no one was telling her anything. She didn't know if it was because she didn't qualify for one of those fancy leather uniforms, or if she was still just the 'outsider' but she was getting tired of being left in the dark.

The door to the room opened and her parents walked in. She was so glad to see them safe, and both of them wrapped her in a hug at the same time. Her mom gave her a strange look, and then a half smile, as she went to check on Mia and the baby.

"So, no date for this wedding, yet?" Her dad said softly.

"Things have been a little active. Logan wants to wait until all this Friends of Humanity stuff dies down." She rattled off the excuse he kept giving her, but in her heart she didn't believe it.

"He better get off his ass soon." Her dad growled.

"Dad, everything will be ok. I promise." She smiled up at him. He patted her on the head, and smiled back. He too walked over to the bed, looking in on the new life cooing there in his mother's arms. Kit began to feel like she wasn't needed, and quietly left the room. She started to make her way to the elevator, but sounds from Hank's office drew her in that direction. He was sitting at his desk, head in his hands, running his fingers through his hair. He had a very disgruntled look on his face.

"Are you ok, Hank?" She asked, sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"No." Such a simple answer told her there was something seriously wrong.

"What's going on, you have been weird since you got back from New Orleans?"

"I…I…I…" he stammered. Hank never stammered. She looked at him closely. His eyes were dilated, he was sweating, and under the blue tinge of his skin was a definite flush.

"Should I get Jean?" She asked, concerned.

"That won't be necessary. I will maintain control." She was really worried. Hank had never behaved like this. He was nervous, tense, angry all the time, snapping at everyone.

"Hank, I am worried. You aren't yourself."

"I will be fine. Kit, really. I was not expecting this intense pheromonal reaction. I will contain it. I have to contain it." He looked up at her. She had seen that look quite a bit at the beginning of her and Logan's relationship, not so much anymore. Seeing it on Hank's face made her realize what had been missing lately.

"Hank, is there someone new at the mansion?" And then she remembered the two kids from New Orleans. Hank was reacting and it had to be to the girl. Kit remembered what Charles had said, she was a feral, like Logan, Victor and Hank, more scavenger based like a raccoon or civet cat, than the her and her sister's more predatory mates or Hank's primate base.

"MOM!" Kit shouted. "MOM!" She never took her eyes off the blue mutant in front of her.

She could hear her mother's hurried footsteps down the hall. She heard her mother stop dead in her tracks at the door.

"Hank?"

"Nancy?" He looked up at her, but it was as if he wasn't seeing her.

"Kit, go get me a blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope, now." Her mother said. Kit ran into the exam room across the hall from Hank's office. She heard other footsteps coming down the hallway, and saw Logan, Bobby and Marie running toward her from the Danger Room. She handed her mother the items and stood back as she took Hank's blood pressure.

"Kit I need to draw blood, go get me a needle and syringe. Logan I am going to need you to help Hank to his room after this. He needs sleep and not here at his desk." Kit ran to do her mother's bidding and then stood back, watching a side of her mother she had never seen. Nancy quickly drew a vial of blood, and then, reached into Hank's desk and pulled out a key. She left the room quickly and came back with a bottle of something and another syringe. She drew some of the liquid into the syringe and injected him in the arm.

"He is going to be out, fairly quickly. Get him to his room, he will burn that off quickly but it should let him get to sleep anyway." Logan and Bobby helped Hank to his feet; he was already swaying from whatever her mother had injected him with. Logan bent over, and lifted Hank in a fireman's carry. Her mate didn't even look at her as he carried the big guy out of his office and toward the elevator, Bobby following him.

"Mom, what's wrong with him?" Kit asked. Her mother was already heading out of the door and down the hallway to the lab Hank and Jean used, "Mom?"

"I don't know, Kit. I have never seen him like this. Let me get this blood analyzed and I will be able to tell you more." Her mother disappeared behind the lab door. Something was going on, and everyone was keeping Kit in the dark. She was really not in a good mood by the time she reached the elevator and made it to the first floor.

It certainly didn't help that her least favorite person was standing in the middle of the entry hallway, yelling at her husband at the top of her lungs.

"…why not, Scott, You have time for Rogue, for Kitty, for Ro, but not for your wife."

"Jean, it was a mission. You know that."

"And when I need you here, when I NEED you, you just take off. What about ME, Scott. You promised to love me, keep yourself only for me, but every time I turn around you are running around with one of the OTHER women in your life."

"JEAN. Don't make a scene. This isn't the time or place for this."

"No, I guess it isn't. I guess I will just have to see to my own needs, since you aren't capable of meeting them." The redhead stormed out the front door. Scott looked over at Kit who was standing there in shock.

"Sorry about that." He said sheepishly, before following his wife out the door.

Kit watched the door swing shut slowly after him. Trouble in paradise, it seemed. Those two were fighting more and more. Charles said it was a result of integrating the two sides of Jean's personality, her more aggressive, passionate, angry side was demanding attention, causing tempers to flare all around the mansion.

"Ouiiiiii." Said a voice behind her. "Dat is one fille wit fire and spunk."

She turned and saw a young man standing on the stairs. His long curly hair auburn lay on the shoulders of the long duster he was wearing. His sunglasses were gripped in his hand, and his eyes were arresting, black irises with solid red, and no whites.

"And you, chere, does Remy have a chance at gettin your attention. Dey said lunch was bein served in de dinin room. Surely such a fine fille would fin it in her heart ta help dis poor los chil to find some food."

She had to smile; he was just so cute, gushing, overdramatic, but cute. "Come on, the dining room is this way."

She could feel his eyes taking her in from foot to head. "Yes, Remy tink you are one fine fille, is der any man dat claim you heart, or does de Gambit have a chance?"

She laughed, he was definitely a flirt, and would probably break more than a few teenage hearts around here. She knew he was one of the two kids from New Orleans; she had yet to meet the other. She pointed to the cafeteria, where several kids were still lingering over lunch, and he reached out and took her hand, bringing it to his lips, then flipping it over, brushing her palm with his lips.

"Tank you, most gracious chere, Remy tanks you from de bottom of his heart; thought I would die of de starvation, before your rescue." She laughed again at his outrageous flirting. It was pleasant, not anything like the fire that she missed so much from Logan, but it felt good to feel like a woman, instead of a piece of the furniture. She slipped her hand out of his slowly and turned to go back toward the stairs. She came face to face with an angry Logan.

"What was that about?" He snapped.

"What do you care?" She snapped back, pushing past him. His hand flashed out and grabbed her elbow, the other grabbing the hand Remy had kissed. He brought that hand up against his chest and she could feel his heart beat under her fingertips.

"Kit, we need to talk." He said, his voice softening.

"Talk, is that where you tell me what I am going to do, and I just sit and listen, or is that where I try to talk to you and you just ignore everything I say, or is that just another way to say you want to take me to bed, and nothing get resolved, because I am getting tired of all three." She was not in the mood to deal with Logan right now.

She glared at him, and felt a stab in her chest, as his eyes shifted back to that hard, cold look he had been wearing lately.

"Never mind." He turned and walked back toward the kitchen, his shoulders slumped. Six months ago she would have run after him, begging him to forgive her for hurting him. Today she just continued back the way she had come with Remy. She barely noticed that the young Cajun was watching the whole scene intently.

She threw him a small smile, and turned to climb the stairs. She walked to their room, and stood with her hand on the knob. No, she wasn't going to sit in there and sulk until he came back. She went down the hall to where Bobby and Marie's room was. She needed to talk to someone, and her best friend was the best place to start.

"He has been fawning over you all day." She heard Bobby saying as she started to reach to knock on the door. It sounded like she wasn't the only one having man trouble today.

"He's sweet, he's lost his home, everything he has because Magneto wants him for somethin, and you are havin a fit because he flirts a little. He's a damned swamp rat, why would Ah be interested in him when Ah have you?" Marie's tone was aggravated, Kit knew that sound, and she heard it a lot from her own mouth lately.

"You're right, Marie. I'm sorry. It just rubbed me the wrong way. I have to head back to campus tomorrow and I don't want this to ruin the weekend. Lets do something; do you want to go to dinner?"

"Of course, silly, what girl wouldn't want ta go ta dinner with a handsome guy like you?" She heard Marie laugh.

Kit pulled back from the door. A talk with Marie was out. She would be gushing over Bobby all afternoon, and not want to hear Kit's woes. Jubilee was out, taking her driver's education classes, and Kit still didn't feel close enough to Kitty to talk to her about her problems.

She roamed aimlessly through the halls, ending up on the third floor. She heard music coming from Ro's room and knocked on the door, quietly. She hadn't talked to Ro much since Charles had returned, she had gone back to teaching, and working with the teams, but had seemed withdrawn. Ro answered the door, a smile on her face.

"Kit, are you alright?" Kit just broke down, crying. It had been a rough morning, and she needed someone to talk to. Ro put an arm around her, pulling her into the room. The soft jazz in the background just let Kit cry herself out.

"Are you ready to talk, or do you still need a moment." Kit looked up, at her smiling.

"I found out my ex boyfriend blew up my home, my sister and her cute and cuddly boyfriend are playing family down in med lab, and everyone is cooing over the baby. I know I should be happy for her, but I am miserable. Logan is pissed off at me all the time, when he isn't he is only interested in sex, we never talk, I can't get him to commit to a date, and I keep finding him alone with Jean. Now he is pissed because some KID decides to flirt with me when I show him to the cafeteria. To top it all off Hank is sick or something and I can't even talk to my mom about any of this because she is in the lab trying to figure out what is wrong with Hank. Marie and Bobby are having problems, so I don't want to burden her with any of this, and I couldn't think of anyone else to go to." She didn't think she even took a breath; it all just flowed out of her.

Ro just looked at her for a second, and then pulled her into a hug.

"Oh my, let's take this one at a time ok." She pulled her over to a pair of chairs that looked out on a snow covered balcony. "I can understand you being upset about the baby. Mia is your younger sister, you are unsure of where all of this is fitting in, especially since you and Logan are at a rocky point right now. I am sure that you will be fine with your sister and Vic and the baby, right now you are just a little jealous."

"I shouldn't be. She's my sister. I should be happy for her." Kit said, she sounded whiny even to herself.

"It is perfectly natural to feel the way you do, allow yourself to realize that you wish it was you, and then realize that things are never as perfect as they seem. I am certain Vic and Mia have their problems, and the baby will only complicate them, not make them go away. This jealousy will go away, I promise."

"Wow, how did I forget how wise you are?" Kit laughed.

She watched a flash of something cross Ro's soft eyes. Kit realized she wasn't the only one having problems, for the third time that day.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be bothering you with this." She said, feeling guilty for intruding on Ro.

"To be honest, I think I need it. I got used to handling things, when Charles was gone, and now everyone goes to him, again, and I am feeling a little superfluous." Ro smiled at her, but there was still a shadow over her eyes.

"Now as for you and Logan, I don't know what to tell you, except he has been snapping at everyone, not just you, and I think there is something he doesn't want to tell us, something going on. I hoped you knew what it was, because you two have been so close. That he is closing you out isn't a good sign. I think you need to try to get him to open up, somehow. As for him being alone with Jean, I am not certain what is going on there either, but I am certain he isn't doing anything to hurt you."

"I know he wouldn't, it's just been so hard. I mean while Jean and Scott were gone on the honeymoon, it was great, and even after they came back things were fine, but then the nightmares started getting worse. He is not sleeping - at all. He sits in the chair in our room all night, smoking, and drinking, and I haven't seen him drink a beer in months. It's all the hard stuff. I have considered moving back in with Jubilee, to give him some space."

"NO! I think that is the last thing you should do. He loves you. NO one doubts that. If you leave him now - or if he perceives you leaving him - I am afraid of what might happen. He is likely to run, and I am afraid, if he thinks you have left him, he won't come back. You need him, these kids need him, and HE needs you and them. Find time to talk to him, tell him how you are feeling, tell him you are worried."

"Somehow I don't think talking to him will help, I have tried, he just ignores me, or yells at me and tries to tell me what to do all the time, I can't get him to _TALK_ to me. When I get him to say anything but bark orders, - or worse - its just to get me in bed, and then as soon as he is happy, it is back to distant and cold again."

"This is worse than I thought, then. You really need to get through to him, tell him how much you love him that it isn't just your 'Y factor' attraction, but more. Why are the nightmares back? Have you asked him?"

"Yes. He won't talk about them. After one bad one, he woke up with his claws out, slashing at the air, after that he stopped even coming to bed; he said he was afraid he would hurt me. I…know he needs his space, and I am trying to give it to him, but Ro…this has been going on for months. Now the only time we are in the bed together is for sex, and I am getting tired of feeling like that is all I am good for."

"Kit he loves you, for some reason, he feels that is the only way he has to show you, to let you know you are still there, in his heart. You need to let him know - let him know how you feel about him - let him know you don't see him as some animal. I have seen him like this before, after Jean died the first time, after Alkali Lake. He was cold, hard, the only reason he stayed was he didn't want these kids unprotected, he felt if he was the animal Stryker said he was, at least he could use it for good, to protect the kids. You have to let him know, he isn't an animal, he is a man, THE man that you love."

"I don't know how. He won't let me IN!"

"You are going to have to find a way." There was a loud popping sound and the smell of sulfur in the air, and Kurt appeared, perched on the footboard of Ro's bed, a smile he wore only for the weather goddess on his face.

"Guten Morgen, Fräulein."

"Good Afternoon, Kurt." Kit said "I think I will be going. At least someone's love life is going well today." Kit laughed. This talk with Ro had helped, but she still didn't know how she was going to get through to Logan.

She was coming down the stairs to the third floor when she heard voices in the hallway below.

"Come on, you know you miss me. You used to sit by my grave, telling me just how much you missed me, how you would dream about me, smell me, feel me, how you longed for me. That little girl you are with isn't woman enough for you, Logan. You need a woman who can match your passion, your fire." She came down the stairs, to find Logan backed against a wall, one of Jean's hands on his chest, the other trailing up his thigh. His hands were gripping her upper arms, trying to push her back, without hurting her.

"Jean, you're married. This isn't right."

"Since when do you care about right, Logan?" She purred at him. "You never used to care if I was with Scott, it wouldn't have stopped you, you can't care now, and that little frump you are with, surely she isn't what you really want. You made sure I knew what you REALLY wanted."

Kit just stood there. She couldn't believe the bitch.

"Jean, back off, I ain't interested. This AIN'T what I asked you for help with." He pushed her back away from her and tried to push past her. She pushed him back against the wall with her mind, her eyes turning black. Neither one of them seemed to be aware that Kit was standing there. Logan struggled against Jean's telekinesis, but was unable to move. Kit closed her eyes; she could see what Jean was doing, how her body was using her power. She reached out, with her own power; she wasn't going to let that bitch hurt Logan. It hurt, she really didn't know what she did, but suddenly Jean's eyes were on her, and she could feel a flow of power, coming to her from Jean, through her, and suddenly Logan launched himself from the wall, right into Jean, knocking her down, distracting her. Jean shook her head, her eyes returning to normal.

"I don't care what you do, what you say to me, Jean, but if you EVER hurt Kit again, I will kill you." Kit was sitting on the bottom step, not sure exactly what had happened. Her head hurt, her body hurt, and she felt like she had been run over by a steamroller. Logan pulled himself up off of Jean's prone form, and sheathed his claws. She hadn't even noticed him pull them. Jean sat up slowly, rubbing her head. The telepath looked confused.

Logan walked over and picked Kit up off the step. She tried to struggle, but she just didn't have the strength. He carried her to their room, ignoring the redhead still sitting in the middle of the hall. He kicked the door open and lay her down on the bed.

"Are you alright, Darlin?" He asked, his voice soft, concerned. Her head was pounding and all she wanted to do was close her eyes and go to sleep.

"I'll be fine." She said coolly. "Go back to your girlfriend."

"Kit, damn it, I am with my…forget it." He shouted the last at her. He stood up and stormed over to the closet, slamming his fist against the door, shattering it. Suddenly she couldn't take it anymore and just broke down. The pain from whatever had happened in the hallway combined with the agony in her chest and she buried her face in her hands, curling up on her side, she didn't want him to hear, but she couldn't stop the tears anymore.

She knew this wasn't going to work from the beginning, she had been just fooling herself, and how could someone like him, with all of his experience, all of his passion, want a stupid farm girl like her. She just sobbed, biting her tongue to keep him from hearing her, her body shaking, shuddering. She heard him moving through the room, slamming things around, heard his bag drop on the floor, - he was packing - was going to leave her. She was suddenly afraid. Afraid of life without him, she didn't think she could breathe without him.

"Logan - please - don't leave." She whispered. She knew he heard her, he stopped. She heard him drop whatever was in his hands. He just stood there a moment, and then let out a sigh; she felt his weight on the bed next to her.

"What do you want, Darlin, because I am confused here?" He said gruffly. She could hear the clenched jaw in his voice.

"I want you; I don't want this hard, cold, hateful person you have become. You act like you don't love me, don't want me, you keep pushing me away. – If you don't love me, don't want me, then TELL me, tell me to go away and I will. Is it just the factor, and is that all that is left between us, or is that all there was in the first place?" She felt his weight shift on the bed, and waited…waited for him to tell her to leave.

"DAMN IT!" His weight shifted again, and she felt him stretch out on the bed next to her, and he draped his arm across her waist. "Darlin, things are just rough right now. It ain't you. I love you. I just am going through somthin that I ain't ready ta talk about." His hand gripped her wrist. "God, Kit, I hate seeing you hurt, and it's killing me that I am the one doin the hurting. You deserve better, Darlin. You deserve someone that ain't going ta spear you in your sleep because he can't control his nightmares, that can share his life with ya, not fight ta try ta remember it, that ain't a stinkin animal." She heard his voice catch in a sob, his face buried against her neck.

She started to relax against him, her legs uncurling, sliding to lie along his on the bed, she covered the hand resting on her wrist with hers, but he flinched and pulled back, his hand shaking as he pulled it away.

"I love you, Logan. I want to help with whatever is bothering you, but you keep shutting me out. I don't qualify for the team, so I don't get to be involved in that part of your life, I go to college, and sometimes you are here when I get home, more often than not lately you aren't. You don't want to be near me unless it is for sex, and that is not as often any more. I went to find someone to talk to today, because I NEEDED someone, I needed you but you weren't available, you were too pissed about a seventeen year old flirting with me. I walked these halls for hours; my parents are here, my sister is here, and I couldn't find anyone to talk to. I finally ended up in Ro's room, and realized I am not the only one feeling shut out, but what hurt the most wasn't everyone else, it was you shutting me out. This is supposed to be us, our life, and I feel like I am the only one in it."

"Darlin?" He whispered. She didn't know if it was a plea, or something darker. She didn't think she had any tears left, but there they were, flowing down her face, across her nose to drop on the pillow below her head. She gave up trying to hide them, her throat ached, her eyes ached, her head ached, even her arms ached, her nose was stopped up, she could hardly breathe, but she couldn't stop the tears. There were no sobs, just tears.

"I had no idea." He whispered against her hair. His arm slid back around her waist, and he pulled her against his chest, the fingers of the other hand combing through her hair.

I thought you were happy here, Darlin. You have Marie, Jubilee, Ro, your school, the swim scholarship. You have been so busy, with all that, and the Mutant's Rights work you have been doing, I didn't realize what has been happening." He rolled her onto her back so he could look at her. She looked into his steel blue eyes, looking for anything she could hold on to. She gave him credit, he didn't try to kiss her, he just looked at her.

"You are right; I haven't been here for ya. I've been tryin ta deal with my problems just like before, and I can't do that anymore. We ain't going ta work if I shut ya out, and I want us ta work." He stroked a finger along her cheekbone, wiping the tear tracks away. He leaned down like he was going to kiss her but she looked away. She wasn't in the mood for his games, not now.

He leaned up on his elbow, then rolled off his side of the bed, and walked around to sit next to her knees. He looked at the floor, and she could see indecision on his face. He finally looked up at her. She knew something was on his mind, and it wasn't sex.

"We need ta talk." He ran his hands through his hair, and looked at her again, his eyes were haunted, but he was letting her see the pain in them. "What's going on, it has nothin ta do with you. After Victor arranged for my real name ta be on all the documents, well I started doin some lookin, some checkin. I borrowed Marie's computer, I didn't want ta leave anythin on yours, just in case I found somethin horrible. I found some things, things that I don't remember, and some things that caused memories ta come back, but worst of all, I opened up a whole new batch of nightmares, nightmares where I am killin ya, Darlin. I am so afraid I am going ta hurt ya." He was looking at his hands, at his knuckles, where his claws came out, loathing on his face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She sat up, and reached out to caress his face. He grabbed her wrist, to stop her.

"I ain't done. I found out some things; public record type things. I've been married. She died. I killed her. I don't remember all of it, just killin her. I don't even remember her name, just the moment when I did it. It was a poison, she had been given, it was going ta kill her slowly, painfully, there was no antidote, she begged me ta kill her, so I wouldn't have ta watch her die like that, but that ain't the worst. She was pregnant."

"God, Logan, is that what has been bothering you?" He was still holding her wrist, not letting her touch him.

"I keep dreaming about it, but it turns inta you, and I am afraid I will hurt you in my sleep." The claws popped out, gleaming in the faint afternoon light, then he slid them slowly back into place. "Baby, it isn't you, I ain't mad at ya, I ain't avoidin ya. I love you, but I don't want ta hurt you." There were tears on his face, "That ain't all. I found out I did volunteer for what happened ta me, I think I did it ta see if they could kill me since I couldn't do it myself. I wanted ta die. I tried ta die, a hundred times, by my own hand, takin on things that should have killed me." His voice was flat, no inflection, and she felt a chill run up her spine. She had no idea it was that bad for him.

"I am getting bits and pieces of my memory back and what's coming back ain't pretty. I've killed, in cold blood. I've done things that were unethical, immoral, criminal, all ta satisfy my own wants and needs. I've lied, stolen, done all the things I hated Victor for. I ain't better than he is, and in some ways I think I am worse. From what I can piece together I am well over a century old, and I can't see any reason a wonderful, beautiful, intelligent woman like you would want anything ta do with an old man like me, but I can't leave. I can't let ya go, and I can't stop hurtin ya. I keep thinkin there's only one way out, and I ain't got the guts ta try again."

"Logan…" she didn't know what to say, she only knew that he was in pain, and he wasn't letting her help him, he wasn't letting her hold him; she did the only thing she knew to do. She tried to get through. "I love you - your past doesn't matter, well it might if something comes up and bites us in the ass, but I expect you to take care of it." Well at least that got him to crack a small smile.

"All I care about is the present and the future. You can't change what you were, but you _have_ changed who you are, and who you are is the man I love with all my heart, the man that wouldn't let a starving kid die on the side of a snow packed road, who promised to take care of her, when she had no one else, who almost sacrificed his life, to bring her back from the dead, the man who protected these kids, from the very man who tortured **you**, experimented on you, the man who would die for any one of them, but more importantly the man who learned to live for them. The man who puts his life on the line every day, to make sure we are all safe, secure, and able to live our lives. The man who killed the woman he loved, to save the world, and then nearly died of grief for doing it. The man who fought himself to keep from hurting me, who tried to protect me when he thought I was afraid of him; who danced with me, kissed me, showed me that there was more to life than five year plans and organizers. The man who can make me laugh, make me crazy, make me cry, but most importantly make me feel, and if something happens tomorrow, and I am gone – please - know I love you just as you are." He just looked at her, shock etched on his face, fading as she talked, until only tears remained.

He blinked his eyes several times, and shook his head, slowly. He let go of her wrist, and bowed his head. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to hold him, but was afraid he would stop her again. Well if he did, he would have a fight on his hands, because nothing, not even him, would stop her. She scooted closer to him on the bed and put her arms around him, waiting for him to shrug her off, or push her away, but he didn't. He just sat there, and then, slowly his arms slipped around her waist, his head raised slightly to rest on her shoulder, against her own, and he sighed, a simple sigh. She felt the dampness on her cheek, and knew he was finally letting himself let go of the tears. She didn't know what was going through his mind, but he wasn't pushing her away, and that was a start.


	4. Four of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

Four of Hearts

Remy was settling in, making himself quite at home. Mike laughed every time she heard one of the guys at the mansion complaining about Remy charming the ladies. She was the only person he didn't try to charm. He was in his element, having a ball. There had been three fights, just yesterday, over him flirting with someone's girlfriend. She really should try to rein him in a bit, or they might get thrown out, but that wasn't her job.

She was sitting in one of the window seats, looking out over the grounds. It had been a quiet morning. She was finding it hard to relax in this place. The sheets on her bed were worth more than what it would cost to feed the entire gang back in New Orleans. The money in this place almost scared her. These people threw it around like water. That plane they had come here in, all the techno gadgets these kids carried with them, laptop computers, PDA's, one of the student tech kits would have fed them for a month. These people didn't realize that for her, it was wasteful; all those fun gadgets meant food to her, not school.

She sat up - Hank – No, Dr. McCoy; she couldn't allow herself to think of him as Hank - walked into her line of sight. He looked disheveled, raw, his hair unkempt, wearing sweatpants and one of the school's zip up jackets. The jacket was open and she could see the sculpted fur and muscle that defined his chest. She felt a burning ache, a desperate longing to tangle her fingers in that soft fur. He was walking with an older woman, also dressed in sweats. They seemed to be talking, his hands were gesturing softly, and the woman put a gentle hand on his arm. Mike felt a stab in her chest. Who was that woman? How dare she touch him? Mike shook her head. She had no right to think that way. A few minutest later an older man came walking up, and the woman turned and kissed him, while Hank walked further away. Mike sat back into the window seat, watching his carefully controlled movements as he walked through the garden.

She hadn't seen Hank - Dr. McCoy all day yesterday. She was going to have to stop thinking of him as Hank. He was Dr. McCoy, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, not someone she could ever call by his first name, not her, a New Orleans swamp rat. He was so calm on the plane, and after they first arrived, but then he had disappeared. The man she saw below wasn't anything like the one she had met. He seemed nervous, jumpy, and then suddenly he looked straight at the window she was sitting in. He bared his teeth, and started walking – no stalking - toward the building. She pulled back, in shock. His eyes met hers, and her entire body screamed, but not in fear. She wanted to jump from the window, straight into his arms. But why would _**he**_ react that way?

The couple with him placed restraining hands on his arms, he shook off the man, almost violently, but after a brief struggle, allowed the woman to guide him along one of the garden paths. He kept looking over his shoulder at the window she was sitting in, teeth bared, and even through the closed glass she could feel the vibration of his growl. Mike didn't know why, but she was disturbed by his reactions. He was reacting like he wanted to attack her, to hurt her; she was afraid that they had found out something yesterday that made him dislike her.

She backed up from the window and turned. From the corner of her eye she thought she saw him reach out as if to stop her, but when she glanced back, he was walking down the path, his shoulders slumped. She slipped out of the seat, and ran down the hallway. She had been put in with another girl, named Jubilee. The girl didn't know the meaning of the word quiet, and went on and on about anything and everything. Mike enjoyed her antics most of the time, but today wasn't one of those days; she wasn't in the mood to answer any questions, and Jubilee always had a ton of those.. She slipped into the rec room, and quietly turned on the TV.

"…And in other news: There were three attacks yesterday on mutant communities. The anti-mutant group, Friends of Humanity, has claimed responsibility for all of the attacks." Behind the anchorman's head a video ran showing fires in a downtown area, what looked like a large robot in the foreground. The video quickly cut away to a man, who looked to Mike to be in his mid to late thirties, he was standing at a podium in some sort of auditorium. The print under his face said "Graydon Creed, Chairman of Friends of Humanity.

"…these mutants are dangerous. They shouldn't be allowed to live on the same streets, attend the same schools as normal children. We will continue to defend ourselves against this threat. These mutants took over areas that were once safe for people to live. The people in these communities wanted these monsters removed. Our Sentinel Robots were sent in to protect these communities. We only responded to the many requests we have had to help them clean up their communities. The Sentinels were there as a preventative measure, in case there were problems with the mutant population. The mutants attacked us, we came to peacefully ask them to move on, to find someplace else, someplace where they weren't endangering the lives of human beings, and this one" a shot of a young man with bleached hair, and a lighter in his hand, spears of fire shooting out from his extended fingers "attacked us and started the fire. We apologize to any humans who were hurt or injured in the attack. It was not our intention to harm normal law abiding people; we simply wanted to assist in the reclamation of this neighborhood for human beings. Any and every time mutants attack, we and our Sentinels will be there to defend the good decent people who ask for our help."

"De're you are, chere." She heard Remy come up behind her. "What you watchin?

"News."

"Ain't de're not'in good on?" He grabbed the remote out of her hand.

He flipped the channel and found a poker tournament.

"Hey, I am watchin dat." She grabbed it back, and changed it back to the news. The story had past, and they were talking about the weather. The two of them wrestled for the remote for a few seconds before she gave up. "Fine you watch what you wan' I didn'wa'na watch not'in no way." She stormed out of the room

"Ouiiiiii. Touchy." She heard Remy throw at her as she left the room. She slipped out into the entry hall and sat at the bottom of the stairs. Remy hated her obsession with knowing what was going on. But someday, this was going to affect them, and she was afraid it already had. He kept brushing off the whole attack in New Orleans, but it had really shaken her up. She realized she had missed breakfast and decided to go see if she could find a snack.

The kitchen was deserted. She climbed up on a step stool and started looking through the cabinets for something to eat. All the bags of chips had been opened. She hated eating anything that anyone else had touched. There was a box of Whoppers, but again they had been opened so she passed them up. She saw a bowl of fruit over on one of the counters and grabbed an apple. She took it to the sink and began washing it. First she found a brush and scrubbed, then she used hot water to make sure all of the wax was off, and then she scrubbed again, then another rinse in hot water, and then in cold, to try to chill the apple back down. She found a re-sealable plastic bag and put the apple in it and put it in the freezer for a few minutes to finish chilling down. She heard a chuckle from the entrance to the kitchen. She turned suddenly and saw a large man standing there.

His blonde hair flowed down his back, his black eyes sparkled at her, and she could see the fangs as he laughed. She cringed back against the counter, her eyes darting left and right looking for a way to escape.

"Damn, kid, you are more persnickety about your food than a raccoon;" He reached over to the fruit bowl and grabbed an apple. He polished it on his sleeve, looked at it, held it to his mouth and breathed on it before he polished it again and put it in his pocket. She watched him move through the room, her body poised to run. "And 'bout as nervous as one too." He reached into the freezer and handed her the bag. "Glad my mate ain't picky 'bout her apples."

She snatched it quickly from his hand and ran. She ran straight into Jubilee in the open door of the kitchen.

"Damn, Vic, did ya have to scare my new room mate?" She said to the giant in the kitchen. "It's ok, chika, he's half way tame anyway."

"Ain't no fun if I don't scare someone at least once a day." He laughed. "And what do you mean half way…I ain't tame by no means.'

Jubilee grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the kitchen.

"Mike, this is Victor Creed, the most obnoxious, annoying pain in the ass I have ever met. Don't ever let him and Logan get in the same room with you, they'll prank you to death." The giant just growled at the Asian girl, but Mike could see he was trying not to smile.

"How's the baby?" Jubilee asked.

"How the hell should I know? He's breathin', poopin', eatin' cryin' and sleepin' sounds normal ta me." He sounded cross, but Mike could tell he was bursting with pride. "I'm just grateful he looks like his Momma. That would be one ugly kid if he looked like me." Jubilee laughed, as he opened the back door and walked out, leaving it open behind him.

"SHUT THE DOOR! Were you born in a barn?" He just kept walking down the path, so Mike pulled the door shut. Jubilee continued in a conspiratorial tone of voice "You wouldn't believe a year ago I was scared to death of him." She said to Mike as she pulled her to the table in the middle of the room.

"Victor Creed, you said." Mike sat down. "He got one dose funny nicknames like you and da oders."

"Yea, Sabertooth."

"Oh."

"Hey - did you see that Graydon Creed guy on TV?"

"Dat I did. Hey dey bot named Creed, any relation?"

"Prob'ly not chica, if they were, Vic would rip him a new asshole." Jubilee laughed. "Sides, Vic is about a hundred years old at least, so if they were related it would be distantly at best." Mike quietly ate her apple, digging around the core to get every bit of edible flesh. Jubilee just looked at her. "You know, there are more apples to go around, you don't have to scarf it down like that."

Mike just looked at Jubilee like she had grown another head. "I ain't used ta havin food when I wan it. An when we do have it you et what you got afor it get took. We try ta keep it even, but dem kids, dey need all dey can get for grow'n." She looked over at the bowl of fruit, trying to decide if she was hungry enough to wash another apple.

"Wow, I remember what it was like when I lived on the streets after my parents died. I hid in a mall, ate out of the trash cans mostly. I was so glad the Professor found me and brought me here. You eat what you want, chica. There's plenty here to go around." Mike didn't realize that she and Remy weren't the only ones who had lived on the streets. It gave her a moment's pause.

"Dis place, I jus can't get it. Der's so much money thrown round here, and don' dey know people starvin, could use dat money fo food." She cringed at the amount of food that went to waste at a single meal here.

"I guess, but so many kids come in like you, with nothing but the clothes on their back, and sometimes only in pajamas, we feel like we do what we can to help the ones we can."

"I guess I never t'ought of dat. You have stuff here for anyone who comes in, no matter what shape. Dat takes money, an lots of it. I di'nt ever know places like dis exist, now, e'n if Remy go back, I tink I stay. Dis a good place." She would stay anyway. Hank was here.

Mike walked to the sink, and washed her hands. First hot water, then soap, then hot water again, then cold then warm to rinse. Remy teased her because she was a little compulsive about how she did things, but she didn't care. She did things the way she liked them. Jubilee just shook her head.

"I am glad I talked the Professor into installing that full sized water heater for my room. You are as bad about hot water as I am." The two girls laughed.

The back door opened and Mike froze, the smile on her face turned into a grimace of pain. Dr. McCoy and the couple who had accompanied him in the garden walked in the door. He stopped in the door, his eyes locked on her, traveling from her feet to her head and back again. He took a step forward, one hand reaching out, but the woman behind him gave him a gentle shove into the room. Once they were all three inside, the older woman took his arm, and guided him quickly to the hallway. His eyes never left Mike, and the room was filled with a scent that she had never encountered before, musky and spicy and full of need, and she felt like it was suffocating her.

Whenever she had seen him, on television, or in the newspapers, he was always so neat, so well dressed, but now he looked down right scruffy, he hadn't shaved, his hair was tangled, his eyes were red rimmed and seemed to bore into hers. She felt warmth in her stomach, and a tightening of her chest. Her hands were sweaty and she had a lump in her throat she couldn't bring herself to speak around. He was beyond anything she had dreamed of, and his appearance didn't do a thing to lessen the crush she had on him. She heard him talking to the couple with him, but most of what he said was garbled by the blood pounding in her ears.

"Let me at least have a discussion with her, discover if this reaction is isolated to my own system." He said, he sounded calm, reasonable but Mike could hear something underlying in his voice, something that made her tremble, made her knees go weak, and she leaned back on the counter. It reminded her of how she had reacted to his touch on the plane.

"Hank, I don't think that is a good idea. Charles and I agreed that the less you two are in any physical contact, the better." The woman said. "Besides, Hank, I think from the reactions here, we can guarantee it isn't isolated to you." She pushed him further down the hallway as she spoke, punching the button for the elevator, and guiding him inside as the doors opened.

"Nancy, I am able to handle this. I converse with young students every day at this institute…" The sound of the elevator doors closing cut off what he was saying. She could suddenly breathe again, and found she was gripping the counter with both hands, her knuckles white. She looked at Jubilee who was looking at her strangely.

"What's the deal with Hank?" She said. Mike looked at her blankly. She had no idea what her roommate was talking about.

"Never mind, it's Sunday and I am NOT going to waste it worrying about blue boy. Let's go to the mall and get some shopping in."

"I don have no money fo shoppin."

"Psshhh. The Professor said I could take you with me. He gave me a budget to get you some new clothes. Not that you look bad in those sweats, but face it, too many people round here are wearing them, it is starting to look like the uniform around here, and I really prefer the black leather to sweats" Jubilee giggled "especially when Wolvie wears it. He might be taken but, chica, that man has one nice ass."

Mike shook her head and laughed. She had seen Logan in passing yesterday evening. He could definitely fill out a pair of jeans nicely. There was a scent of sadness around him though. Perhaps a trip to the mall might not be a bad idea, she could get away from here, away from Hank – Dr. McCoy.

"So how we getting to da mall, chere?" She asked.

"I think Ro is driving us. So we better get a move on." Jubilee headed out to the entry hall. Ms. Monroe was standing there waiting.

"It's about time you two showed up. I have to pick up some things for the Jamison family as well, so let's get moving." She was tapping her foot impatiently but smiling at the same time.

The three of them piled into the black sedan sitting out front; Jubilee slid into the middle of the backseat, popping her gum. Ms. Monroe kept looking over at Mike, a sad look on her face. Mike wanted to sink into the seat of the car. She hated anyone feeling sorry for her.

"I'll fin a way to pay ya'll back." Mike said softly.

"There is no need, child. I was just wondering how you are feeling?"

"Fine - les get dis shoppin trip out o da way." She didn't say much more all the way to the mall. Her mind kept going over Hank – she slammed her hand into the door handle, startling Ms. Monroe and Jubilee. She grinned at them sheepishly as she berated herself again for thinking of him by his first name.

She had to control her fingers at the mall. The only time she went into a mall back home was if the kids needed something they couldn't make or steal elsewhere. She knew the guards were watching her, and she didn't want to get in any trouble. She really liked the mansion and didn't want to be sent away for doing something stupid.

"Chica…you'd look great in this." Jubilee showed her a bright floral spring dress with a scarf hemline. She just shook her head. She needed sensible things, jeans, shirts, shoes, not something frilly like that. "Come on. A girl has to have something pretty."

"Non…I stick ta jeans. De las' longer."

"You don't have to worry about that now, chica."

"Jes cuz I here now don' mean I'll always be, an' I don' wan no'tin dat ain't gonna hold up, non." She said.

"Suit yourself, I'm buying it." Jubilee took off to the register.

She looked over the racks of clothing, while Jubilee paid for the dress. On one of the sale racks she found a simple skirt and blouse that was made from a more durable fabric, and decided to try it on. It just didn't fit right, so she put it back.

The two girls shopped for hours; before Jubilee finally convinced her she needed one nice outfit. Well, it was more the outfit convinced her. It was a simple black dress with blue embroidery, almost the same blue as Hank's hair. She had to have the dress. She had an image of wearing it, and standing next to him, looking like she belonged to him…she quickly shook her head, but bought the dress anyway.

"So is Remy a good kisser. I heard he was, but I thought you would know. Doesn't it drive you nuts, him flirting with everybody, he is your boyfriend?' Jubilee asked. They were sitting in the food court, waiting on Ms. Monroe.

"Remy jes de frère" She said.

"Sure…" Jubilee grinned as she sucked on the straw of her drink.

When they got back to the mansion, it was late afternoon. Mike and Jubilee took their bags up to their room and unpacked. Remy stuck his head in, as he passed by.

"Have you seen da Rogue, chere?" His eyes were practically glowing. Jubilee gave her an elbow nudge, and an I told you so grin.

"Non, an you don need ta be lookin for dat one. She has de petit ami." Remy just laughed at her.

"Dat is why de call me de Gambit, non? Remy knows when to play de cards."

"What you mean by dat?"

"De petit ami he go back to de campus, leaving de chere alone, dat de time for Remy to make his move."

Mike just shook her head. Remy and his drama, he could always be counted on to keep things interesting.

He flopped down across the empty bed in the room. "Chere, you ok? You are lookin a little on de down side, non."

Jubilee tried to pretend to be invisible on her side of the room.

"I'm fine Remy LeBeau. You take care o you, leave me out of your drama."

"Ohhhhhh, Michelle, it dat Ambassador got your heart boilin. Remy goin ta have ta have a talk with that homme, if he be breakin you heart."

"Don you dare, Remy LeBeau." She threw one of her new shoes at him; he just caught it and threw it back.

"Remy don' like da way he been lookin at you. Like you are a glass o cold water and he dyin o thirst."

"You are fou, crazy. He don know I even breathin. You just tink dat if you don have de drama you gets ta make it up. You quit dis now Remy. It ain't drole."

"You jes watch dat blue boy, Remy not likin dis at all." Mike was surprised at how serious he seemed, but was more surprised at the shocked look on Jubilee's face.

"I be ok, you worry bout your femmes, non. Let me deal wid my own problems."

He just shrugged his shoulders and stood up. She knew he was really worried, and didn't understand this side of him at all.

He pulled the door shut behind him and she curled up in the middle of her bed, plucking at the bedspread, trying to forget Dr. McCoy, Jubilee, attacks on mutants and all the other things going on, and just relax. Just before she dozed off she heard Jubilee slip out of the room.

She started awake when the door to her room opened and Dr. McCoy was standing there, in nothing but the sweatpants. He didn't say a word, just looked at her like he had in the kitchen. He closed the door behind him and crossed to the bed. She sat up in bed, swallowing hard to try to clear the lump in her throat. He brushed his large fingers through her hair, placed one finger on his lips asking for her silence, and leaned down, claiming her lips in a hard passionate kiss. She couldn't stop herself; she stroked his chest, her fingers tangling in the soft fur sculpted over his muscles, his arm slipped around her waist as he lay down on the bed with her, guiding her body back into a prone position, one hand tracing her jaw with his thumb, while the other pressed her hard against his chest. She slipped one hand into his hair, tangling, gripping trying to pull him inside her, trying to absorb him completely, the stubble on his cheek harsh on her palm as her fingers tangled in his silky blue hair. She moaned his name against his lips, and a hand crashed down on her shoulder, causing her to jump.

She sat up in the bed, she was alone. Her body felt cold - bereft. It had been another dream. Jubilee stood next to the bed.

"You missed lunch." She said. She had a sandwich and chips on a plate, she sat it down on the night stand. "Are you ok? I could swear you were moaning 'Hank.'" She blushed.

"I'm fine. Tanks fo de lunch but I go fix myself somting later. I not dat hungry." She looked at the comforter, her cheeks blazing with her embarrassment.

"Suit yourself. I'm hungry enough for both of us." Jubilee laughed. "Wow, first time anyone has had a crush on Hank…don't worry, I won't tell him, but his ego could use the boost."

Mike just glared at her. This was turning into a disaster.

"What you mean by dat?" She asked.

"Well first Kit and Mia's mom dumps him for their dad, then Kit and Mia fall for Logan and Victor, and poor Hank is left standing in the cold again. He almost married Nancy, before she met Frank, and I think he had hoped that one of the girls would have his Y factor, so he could finally have a mate." She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, chip crumbs flying everywhere.

"Y factor, what dat?" Mike asked.

"I am not really sure…it has to do with ferals and mating and stuff. Kit was like this before she and Logan got together. HEY…maybe YOU are Hank's Y factor, his mate. That would be so kool."

"Non…Dr. McCoy…he don' need a swamp rat like me."

"It's not like you have a whole lot of choice in it, from what I understand. It's genetics." Jubilee held a pickle out to her. Mike grabbed it and started nibbling, her compulsion forgotten in light of the new information she was processing. Mate? It wasn't possible…was it?


	5. Five of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

Five of Hearts

He watched her sleep. She was so peaceful in her sleep. She didn't know how much peace it gave him to watch her sleep, even if he couldn't trust himself to hold her. He hadn't told her everything, but enough, enough that she understood, enough to give him some space. God, he couldn't leave her – the thought was tearing him up, he kicked the half packed bag on the floor. He couldn't stay – he would hurt her, and then she would leave him. He couldn't stop hurting – and the pain wasn't for him, it was for her, because he knew he was hurting her. She made him happy, but he couldn't stop hurting her. He took another drag on the cigar, followed by the rest of the glass of scotch. He had left beer a long time ago.

She said she loved him as he was - how could she? She didn't even know him. She didn't know what he remembered from the last nineteen years, much less what he had remembered since. Mariko, Ogun - he needed a trip to Japan - there was a lot of unfinished business in Japan. He looked at her hand, laying across her chest, even in the dim light of dawn, the stones flashed. He had been so naive. How could he think of marrying her, he couldn't guarantee she…he closed his eyes. He wouldn't even think it. She was so full of life; he wouldn't let himself see her any other way.

There was so much blood on his hands. He looked down in the ruddy dawn light; he could almost see the stains. He hadn't told her half of what he remembered - the man she said she loved, he had to have come from somewhere, but it wasn't Logan's past; and he wanted to stay that man. He wanted to be the one she saw - not the cold bastard he remembered being. He poured another glass of scotch and downed it. At least there were things he did remember, things that would help, in the long run. Bank accounts - hiding places – friends who owed him favors; big favors – he still couldn't believe it sometimes. He had drifted for almost twenty years, living day to day, fight to fight, going hungry when he couldn't pull it off, and there were millions sitting there, waiting for him to remember and claim it.

His mind had hidden them, the pieces of his heart that he had locked away, - locked away to keep from hurting over them - Rose, Silver Fox, Mariko, Jean - but Kit, God help him, she didn't just have a piece. He didn't know how, didn't know why, but she owned the whole damned thing. He had to protect her, keep her safe, never let her know pain, but all he could do was hurt her. After they had talked yesterday, he had held her, let her go to sleep in his arms again. He had fought it, but sleep had claimed him. He had woken up, blood running down his hands, his claws out. She had been on the other side of the bed, her back to him, and the blood was only his, but it had scared him again, enough that he was back in the chair, away from her, away from doing damage he couldn't make right.

He had been dreaming about Mariko – again – and again in the dream she had become Jean – begging him to kill her - and then she had changed to Kit just as he plunged the claws into her heart. The claws had been bone in the dream, broken and stained with the blood of the women he loved. They all died. He knew she would die eventually, but not on his claws, not that way. He had to leave, had to save her - from him and from herself. He had tried eight times in the last four months, he would pack, while she was gone to class, load up the bike, and drive out of the gates, one time he made it as far as the first stoplight in town before turning around. He was always home – when she pulled in the drive - always there even if she didn't know it, he knew when she came home, knew she looked for him.

He thought pushing her away would help, make her leave him, and God help him, it had almost worked. He had smelled her despair, her pain, knew she would let him go – hell demand he go – if he hurt her one more time, but she – damn her, she didn't…she had begged him to stay, and he couldn't say no to her – not when there were tears in her eyes.

"Logan?" She said her voice groggy with sleep.

"Here, Darlin." He tried, but he just couldn't keep the pain from his voice.

"Another dream?" She asked.

"Yea."

"Logan, we can get through this." She slid out of the blanket and crossed the room. She was wearing one of his T shirts, a habit she had gotten into the last six months. She slept in something of his, something that smelled like him. She said it kept him close. He wanted to be what was wrapped around her, but it wasn't safe – God help him it wasn't safe.

"Kit, your dad and I talked yesterday, he wants ta rebuild. I am thinking about going back and helping." He drained another glass of scotch, and filled it from the nearly empty bottle.

"That might not be a bad idea Logan; get away from here, from whatever is causing this, change of scenery might be good." She knelt on the floor at his feet, leaning her head on his knee. He put the cigar down and stroked her hair.

"I want you ta come, too." He almost winced at the light in her eyes. He didn't want her to hope, he just hoped her being with her family would make it easier when he left.

"Ok." He pulled her up into his lap, tucking her head against his shoulder. Could he do this? Could he walk out on the best thing he had ever found? He didn't have to worry about Creed this time; hell Vic would protect her better than he could. He would protect her from Logan himself. Creed was the least of his worries.

"Well, at least I started packing." He said lightly, but he felt her tense in his arms. Damn! He wanted to make it right – he wanted things how they had been. He wanted them to be relaxed again, to feel her mold herself limply against his body, just sitting, enjoying each other's closeness. This tension whenever he touched her, this fear – not of him, but for him, that was hard to bear; why the hell did his memory have to come back. Victor wasn't a threat anymore, at least not one that he had to look over his shoulder for. But now, now he knew just how many threats there could be – would be. He was spending all of his time looking over his shoulder.

"I will get my things packed." She stood up and moved around the room. She was so beautiful. He watched her move, enjoying it for what he was afraid was the last time. There was something different though, something tired, something worn, something…he smelled pain.

"Darlin?" He stood up and caught her as she slumped. _What the hell?_

"I'll be ok." She said, as he laid her back on the bed. "Just some residual from the fight with Jean I think."

"WHAT?" He snarled, his lip curled, claws popped in anger. He was ready to kill the telepath. Jean had hurt Kit, badly.

"Logan - enough." Her voice stopped him before he reached the door. "It's my own fault. I tried to Mirror her while she was using her power on you. It just hurts."

"You tried ta _**WHAT**_?" He turned around, stunned. He knew she could copy muscle memory but abilities too?

"I could see what she was doing, how she was doing it, and I thought I would try to stop her, to pull it and use her own power against her. I pulled something, I don't really know what, but it was like a steamroller, I couldn't control it." She was looking down at her hands, tangling them in the hem of the T shirt, exposing more and more of her bare thighs as she did. If she was trying to distract him, it was working. That wasn't doing much for his control at the moment.

"You pulled her memory of what she could do?"

"I guess. I pulled something else too, I am not sure what, but it hurt." She was trembling, and the pain was worse.

"I would definitely say that was a bad idea." He whispered as he gripped her upper arms with his hands, pulling her against his chest. He could smell his own fear in the room. Suddenly he tightened his arms around her - she could have been killed. Pulling power from the Phoenix in full rage, that had been stupid; he could have lost her, not to an enemy, but to a friend. "Promise me you won't try anything like that again."

"Logan, I have to find out the limits of my power." She slipped her arms around his back, allowing him to crush her close.

"KIT!" He shouted, his voice harsh with fear. "Don't ever do that again…at least not outside a controlled situation…PLEASE!"

"Ok." She said quietly, her eyes dropping with fatigue.

"Get some sleep. I will see about packin' for us, you rest, Darlin." He moved around the room, quietly as she lay back, pulling the blankets back over her. He packed bags for both of them and left them by the dresser. He unplugged her laptop, disconnecting it from the network port in the wall. She would want it with her, he knew. He slipped it into its case and into the pocket in the side of her bag. He laughed at the light snores coming from her form on the bed. She had rolled to one side, the blankets all bunched to one side, her back and legs bare. The T-shirt had ridden up and her light pink panties seemed to wink at him. His body reacted, and he knew he needed to slip outside and clear his head, or he would be waking her up.

He walked out the back door, and down the path. He sat quietly on a bench, the barren branches of the tree over head giving no indication of the beautiful flowers that would be there come spring. He pulled a cigar out of his pocket and bit off the end. He lit it, and puffed, finally pulling a long drag of smoke into his lungs. He leaned back on the bench, looking out over the grounds.

"Fancy findin you here, Runt." Vic walked up behind him.

"Does Mia drive you insane?"

"Hell yea." The big man sat on the other end of the bench, and snatched the cigar from Logan's hand.

"Kit pulled a dumb stunt, yesterday, tried to pull Jean's power with her own."

"Shit. Is the kid ok?"

"Yea, made her promise not ta do that again."

"That all that's botherin ya? I smell fear."

"No. I been getting memories back. I told her some, but not all of 'em – and what I have is enough that I am thinkin 'bout runnin ta protect her - from me and all the trouble that follows me. I think I am spendin most days lookin over my shoulder, waitin for somethin ta hit."

"You do that, Runt, and you will be lookin over your shoulder for me, cuz I'll drag your ass back. Ain't no way in hell I am putting up with Frank and Nancy giving _**me**_ shit, and you run out on Kit, nuh uhh."

"What kind of shit?"

"Not marrying Mia, for one. Not likin the work I'm doin for another. It ain't like I got a resume that will let me land an ordinary job or nothing. I been tryin ta only take jobs that, well the mark deserves it, or at least it works ta help people. Mia would kill me if I killed just ta kill."

"Damn, you are developing a conscience, that's scary."

"Fuck you, Runt."

"Been makin good money, doin that?"

"Yea. Been takin jobs that pay, and well, no pro bono work or nothin, hell I actually interviewed for a security job at Frost industries day before yesterday. Weird shit goin on there, and I hate that bitch, Emma Frost, but if it is a regular job, then hell, for Mia and the baby's sake I will put up with the ice queen."

"Shit! _**YOU**_ lookin for a regular job, havin a kid, bein a family man- damn, maybe people can change." Logan laughed, pulling another cigar out of his pocket and biting the end off. "You still stealin my cigars tho…"

"That what's buggin ya. You afraid you can't change what's in the past."

"Yea. The past is what made me what I am."

"Damn, Logan. The past didn't make ya SHIT! YOU made you - before you got your damned memories back, you created the man you wanted to be - based on what you WANTED to be. Do you think you and I could be sittin here, talkin, not tryin ta kill each other, if either one of us were what the PAST made us. Dumb ass, ya love her, ya ain't even got ta change who or what ya are, just be the man you are – the man you want to be, and you could be so fucking happy, but no, you have to go and pull the Logan, King of Angst crap! _Wahhhh, I killed a guy eighty years ago, will she find out and not want me any more_. Get a grip, Runt. The woman loves you, you love her, stop worrying about the damned past. If it causes problems, fuck it, clean up the mess, protect your woman, and let the past sort itself out."

"Fuck you, Vic. Who the hell died and made you so fucking wise."

"God and I killed him myself." The blonde giant chuckled at his own joke. "Guess havin you for a fucking responsibility made me wise up fast. You were a pain in the ass as a kid."

"Back at ya, Dogboy."

"FUCK." Victor looked at him. Logan laughed; bet he didn't think he had remembered that. "So you remembered that, huh?"

"Yea, still some stuff I am cloudy on, still holes bigger than swiss cheese, but I got the basic gist of things down." He reached into a pocket and handed Vic an unlit cigar. "For the cub."

Vic slipped it into his pocket and took a drag off the one he had snatched from Logan's hand. "Fuck, let's not do ta our kids what was done ta us."

"KIDS! Fuck that – if I have anything ta say about it, you are the only one providin grandkids."

"Kit ain't going ta like that, none."

"It's something she is going ta have ta get used ta. Kids ain't a good idea, I can't guarantee keeping Kit safe, how the hell can I protect her and a bunch of kids?"

Victor gave him a strange look. "Logan, it's about more than keeping her safe." He shook his maned head. "I can't believe I am the one tellin you this crap. Pull your head out of your fucking ass before I pull it out for ya. Ya can protect her, keep her safe, but if ya ain't makin her happy, then you are screwin up. Don't think about safe, don't think about protecting her, do what ya can, and then forget it."

He looked at the ground at his feet, cigar forgotten in his hand. Logan was shocked at the smell and look of pure terror on the big man's face. "God, do you know how fucking scared I was, pullin Mia and Thomas out of that burnin house. I coulda lost em both, but ya know what, it only made me realize that what I need ta be doin is makin that woman happy. Someday she will be gone, and if I all I do is protect her, it ain't going ta be much to look back on. I want ta be able ta look back and remember her smile - her laugh - her touch - NOT that I kept her safe."

He looked over at the blonde man. Fuck, when had he started thinking of him as a man again? FUCK, Sabretooth was right, he was the one fucking things up with Kit. He shook his head at the irony of taking advice from Victor. He was so worried about keeping her safe, he couldn't remember the last time he saw her smile - or heard her laugh. Yes he could. Yesterday, in the lunchroom, with that damned kid. He had heard music, or thought he had, and she was standing there, laughing at that tall piece of Cajun shit, her eyes sparkling, glowing. He remembered watching that light die in her eyes when she saw him. She used to light up for him like that, but now - how had he let it go?

"Thanks, Vic." The irony of that made him shake his head, "I actually have missed ya. Ya help me keep things in perspective." 

He looked at his hands, the dull silver of the claws resting just under the surface. "I just have one problem, and I don't know if you can help with it or not. How do I keep from hurting her, in my sleep, in my dreams?"

"That's easy – ya trust her ta protect herself, ta get out of the way. Mia and I have the same problem Hell, after everythin we have both lived through, Runt, do you think you are the only one with nightmares?" Vic looked at him hard. "When was the last time you got any sleep?"

"Months."

"MONTHS!" Creed bunched both of his fists up. "Fuck that - go curl up with your woman and SLEEP dumb ass, before I knock your ass out. She is the best medicine for what is botherin ya."

"Maybe, but I ain't got time for a nap; we are heading back ta Oklahoma tonight with Nancy and Frank. The boys are stayin here, until we get the house rebuilt." He didn't know if anyone had told Vic and Mia the plans.

"Hell, I'm comin with ya. Me and Deputy Studmuffin are going ta have a few words."

"What 'bout Mia and the baby?"

"She'll kill me if I leave her here, that is one woman you don't want pissed. Jean and Hank cleared her ta go home anyway; maybe Oklahoma is where we need ta be for a while. I will talk ta her and see what she wants ta do."

"Kit and I are packed. Blackbird is leavin in…" he looked at his watch "three hours."

"We'll be there. I know my mate by now." Vic stood up, and crushed out the cigar under his boot.

Logan listened as he walked up the path. Maybe he was right, maybe some sleep might help. He stood up, crushing out his own cigar, and walked back to the mansion. He slipped in the side door and up the stairs. Three hours would be a good nap. Kit was still sleeping, and he pulled the blankets back over her, and slipped in with her. She rolled against him in her sleep, her head resting on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead and laid his head on the pillow. He closed his eyes thinking sleep would take forever.

She was shaking his shoulder. He cracked his eyes. Twilight filtered through the windows. He looked at Kit, she was dressed, his favorite pair of black jeans, the ones that hugged her ass, and a simple black T shirt, with, and he frowned, the vest underneath.

"What the hell?"

"We aren't sure what we are going into, silly. I thought you would be pleased I thought that far ahead." She gave him that look that said he was just being a MAN, and then the sun broke through the fog in his head; well at least she smiled - at him. That was all it took, he jumped out of bed and looked over to grab the bags. They were gone.

"Vic came to get them an hour ago. Scott held the plane for you; well Vic didn't give him much choice." She slipped up against his chest, and kissed the end of his nose. "You haven't slept like that in months. We hated to disturb you." He slipped his arms around her waist and held her. Damn, Vic had been right, again, a little sleep and he did feel better about everything.

"You doin ok, Darlin? No more pain from earlier?" He sniffed the air, just to be sure.

"Yes, you jerk, I am much better." He grinned; jerk was better than cold. He knew he could always improve from jerk. He slipped his hands under the hem of her shirt, and caressed the small patch of skin below the vest.

"I wish you had waited. You know I like helping you into this thing."

"No, you like hindering me getting into this thing…" She grinned at him, he captured her mouth with his, tasting her – really tasting her for the first time in months. She broke the kiss, but both of them were breathless.

"We need to get moving." She said. He grumbled but followed her out the door.

The walked down the stairs, his arm around her waist. He hadn't felt this relaxed with her in months. How the hell did a talk with the man he had considered mortal enemies for most of his adult life help make it all work out? They entered the elevator and took it to the sub basement. Vic, Mia and the baby, Nancy and Frank were standing there talking, waiting on them. Nancy smiled over at him, and he smiled back. Frank just glared a little, and then shrugged. Vic and Mia just walked up the ramp, the baby carrier between them. Logan just shook his head, a grin tugging at his lips. He had never imagined Creed a father, and now watching him carrying a diaper bag was funny as hell.

He slipped up to the cockpit; Scooter and Marie were sitting there.

"Hey, Sugar, you look a little better." Marie teased him, "Ya could'a shaved tho."

"Bite me, kid."

"Ah don't think Kit would like that none." They both laughed. Scott just glared at them through his glasses.

"Hey, BoyScout, a gentle landing if ya don't mind, there's a baby on board." He slipped out of the cockpit before Scott blasted him.

He sat down next to Kit, resting one arm across her shoulders, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. There would be a lot of work when they got back to the farm; he was going to try to rest on the flight. He felt her head roll gently onto his shoulder. He reached out with his other hand and linked his fingers with hers.

"I love ya, ya know." He whispered, almost afraid of her reply.

"Yea, jerk, I know." She whispered back. He guessed he deserved that, but it still stung. "I love you, too." That was more like it. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face. Damn, here he was, surrounded by family, and he didn't want it any other way. Even with his new memories he couldn't remember being surrounded by family. Yep, this is the way things should be. The baby started to cry, and he cringed. Well, maybe not that.

He woke up as the plane jolted down. Damn he warned Scooter about that, now the baby was crying again. The ramp went down and the family descended, Vic and Mia and the baby in the rear, in case of problems. They had landed in the yard; there was nothing left to block the Blackbird from landing. The house was leveled, the barn had one wall still standing, and the small house on the other side was scorched, but standing. At least there would be a roof over their heads as they worked.

"Vic, you check out the house, and make sure everything is ok; Mia and Kit can get everyone settled over there." Frank was saying. He had popped the hood on the truck in front of the small house and was making sure it would run. "Logan you and I can go into town, and pick up some supplies to get started with. I want to get the horses rounded up, and look into replacing the tractor; I need to start getting fields turned for planting."

"Dad, let me come to." Kit said.

"Not today, Kit. Let me and Logan do this." He started the old truck up and Logan opened the passenger door.

They pulled out of the gate, and turned onto the road. Logan just waited. "You planning on keeping your word?" Frank asked him, finally.

"Hell yea, things have been hectic lately, that's all."

"That's what Kit said, but I ain't buying it. She ain't some girl you can fuck and forget."

Logan ground his teeth to keep from responding to that, finally he said "Frank, I got a bunch of memories back, ok, I am getting things straightened out, and that's all. I love her; I'm going ta - marry her." Saying the words to her father made him realize it was true; he could grouse and fret and get upset, but nothing was going to change that she was his mate, and he wasn't leaving. Frank just smiled at him, and they rode the rest of the way into town in silence.

At the farm supply store, they had their first surprise, they wouldn't sell Frank anything on credit, cash only. The owner looked apologetic, but firm. Charles had made sure they had cash, so that wasn't that big an issue, but they had the same problem at the lumber yard. The farm machine dealer didn't like the idea of selling him a tractor for cash even, but seeing it changed his mind. Logan drove the truck home, followed by Frank on the used tractor. The back of the truck was full, mostly bedding, things they would need until the lumber supplies were delivered.

Nancy was in the kitchen of the small house, trying to fix dinner. They propane tank had blown, and they wouldn't deliver a new one to the farm. She had called another company in another town, but it wouldn't be delivered until tomorrow, so no heat and no stove. It was cold sandwiches. Vic and Kit had rounded up the horses, and they were hobbled and tied out front.

"Well, at least someone got something accomplished today." Nancy said as they came in. Kit and Vic and Logan unloaded the truck. On the bottom of the load were the new coral posts for the horses. Logan and Vic went and set up a coral while Frank looked over the barn site to see if anything was salvageable. Kit helped her mom, and then sat on the porch watching the men work. There had been chicken wire and posts in the truck, they had unloaded them and they were leaning against the house. She grabbed the posts and a hammer and walked to the side of the house.

Logan watched as she worked. She wasn't a stranger to work, and he could tell she had done this before. Damn - she really was a farm girl. She had a small coop up in no time, and the pullets they had bought settled in, feed on the ground. It would be a while till they started laying, but at least the chickens were in place for now. The horses were corralled for the night, and everyone went inside. The power was on, but that was because Vic had put an emergency generator in the house when they moved in. Kit and Logan were sleeping in the living room, Nancy and Frank in the baby's room, and Vic Mia and the baby in their room. Logan lay down on the pallet on the floor, and watched as Kit moved around the room.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself, jerk."

"I was thinking, while we are here, and well everyone is around, maybe after we get the new house up, you want ta get married?"

"WHAT? NOW you want to get married. What happened to wait till things settle down?"

"Well, I have a funny feeling things won't be settling down any time soon, and, Baby, I love you, I want to marry you, and I guess I have been a jerk, putting it off." He watched her standing there, hands on her hips.

"We'll see." She said, walking closer. _Just another foot, come on_, he watched as she slipped closer, not even noticing the gleam in his eye. He reached out with his foot and tripped her, causing her to tumble down on his chest.

"Now that's more like it." He said. She doubled up a fist and reared back to hit him, he reached down and tickled her. She collapsed giggling on his chest, before rolling over, trying to get away. He rolled on top of her, not giving her even a chance to get away.

"Settle down out there, some of us have work to do tomorrow." He heard Frank call from the back of the house. He leaned down and captured her giggles with his mouth. His hands left her sides, tracing up, gently brushing the undersides of her breasts.

"Logan, quit." She hissed at him, kissing him back. "My parents are in the next room."

"So, they know we are sleeping together."

"I am NOT having sex in my sister's living room."

"Oh really?" He leered at her. He would see about that. He leaned down and kissed her hard, his hands slipping under his old T shirt. He loved that she slept in them, loved how she looked in them, but loved how she looked out of them better. She slid her hands up along his shoulders and down his back. Her hands slipped down along his back, and down his sides, and then suddenly dug in, hard, tickling him. He pulled back, trying hard not to laugh. Damn!

"Yea, really." She said. "You can just get your mind out of your pants James Logan Howlett, you aren't getting lucky tonight." He growled at her, menacingly, but she just laughed. Shit, he couldn't even intimidate her anymore. He conceded defeat, and lay back on the pallet. She curled up next to him.

"Let's try to get some sleep. There is still a lot of work to do." She whispered against his chest. He slipped one arm around her, holding her close. Sleep did sound good, maybe real sleep, with her in his arms. That sounded like paradise.

The rays of the sun streaming in the window woke him. Kit was curled up on one side, pressed against his side, head on his chest, hand lying across his lower stomach. He reached down and pulled her hand up, out of the danger zone. He felt her smile against his chest.

"What's the plans for today?" He asked his voice hoarse from sleep.

"Mom and Vic and I are going into town; see what we can pick up, Mom wants to file the insurance claim on the fire. Dad wants you to help him get the foundation for the house cleared and see if there are any repairs that need to be made. Mia wants Vic to pick up some things for the baby since most of what they had is smoke damaged." She said as she sat up.

"Can't Nancy and Vic take care of that, you don't need to go."

"I want to go. This is my home, where I grew up; most of these people are my friends. I want to remind them of that. That we are the same family that has always been here; and that we are not going to be scared away."

Did she have to be so damned stubborn? He could see the set of her chin as she looked at him. "Stay close to Vic, please, both you and Nancy, I don't like how your Dad and I were treated yesterday. This place has my hackles up. Just be careful." He knew better than to try to stop her.

"I will - jerk." She smiled as she pulled the T shirt over her head. SHIT. He watched as she dug around in her bag standing there in nothing but a slip of satin across her ass.

"Is this your idea of torture?" Even he thought he sounded like he was whimpering. He sat up, watching every move she made.

"No." She smiled at him, slowly pulling on a pair of tight jeans leaving them open just enough to see the satin of her panties, then slipping into her bra, her hands slipping over the cups, adjusting herself before sliding behind her back to fasten it as he watched. She pulled on a tight long sleeved T shirt tucking it slowly into the jeans, letting her hand rest just under the waistband before buttoning and slowly zipping them up, then leaned over, kissed him gently on the cheek, and whispered "The torture is the fact that you get to be here, with my Dad, all day, and think about what you just watched. Have fun, jerk."

He slammed his head against the floor, his skull cracking the hardwood. Shit. She was right, that was going to be torture. He lay there, hoping the water was running, a cold shower this morning would be a really good idea. He climbed out of the blankets, his jeans tight. He dug in his bag, and grabbed a clean pair of jeans, and shirt and went to see about that shower, growling the whole time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She laughed all the way into town. Her mother just looked at her, and shook her head. Vic chuckled.

"You know, kid, he will get even." He said with a grin.

"Yea, I know…that's the fun part." She grinned back at the man she considered her brother in law.

"You are being mean to that boy." Her mother said, reproachfully.

"Mom, lay off. He's my boy to be mean to." Vic just shook his head and stifled a chuckle, while her mother just grinned.

"He's only going to take so much, Kit."

"Yea, and when he gets tired of playing the game, he will change the rules. I am just glad he is playing again." She tried to keep the pain out of her voice but she knew Vic heard it.

"So am I, Kit - just don't let him shut you out again."

"Yea, Ro said the same thing."

"You two need to work this out, Kit. He loves you." Her mother said.

"I know, I even know what he is trying to do, he thinks he is protecting me. He thinks there are things in his past that could hurt me, and he wants to make sure they never touch me. I don't care about his past. If it comes up, fine, if not I don't want to lose what we have because he is afraid."

"I told him the same thing, Kit. Maybe he will listen."

"I am just glad he slept last night - first time in months."

"Drop me here, Vic; I need to talk to the insurance agent." Her mother said, climbing out of the cab of the truck. "I should be about an hour if you want to go pick up the supplies for cleaning the house and pick up groceries."

They drove, quietly to the grocery store. They walked through, picking up the things they needed. Vic saw some grills with propane tanks at the front of the store, and went to check on the price. Kit pushed the basket, grabbing what they needed to get by a few days. Charles was financing the entire rebuild, and the contractors would be arriving tomorrow to start on the house, if the foundation was sound.

"Kit Jamison." She heard a familiar voice.

"Diane. How are you?" Her best friend from high school stood there, her youngest child sitting in the basket.

"Ok, Matt is working over at the Air Force Base, so we are doing ok. Just found out we are having another one."

"You know, I never figured you for three kids by twenty five." Kit laughed.

"I know me either, but it has been great. What about you. I heard you went off back east to school or something?"

"Yea, I am going to school in New York. My fiancé teaches at a school back there, it's a boarding school so we live on campus."

"Wow, fiancé, does Danny know?"

"I don't know, why?"

"He has been spouting off lately, especially since the fire, that when you come back, he is going to take you away from the mutant freak your sister brought home, and marry you. I keep telling him he is full of shit."

"Pshhh - Yea, my fiancé'll kill him. Logan is kinda the jealous type." Kit laughed. The idea of Logan and Danny fighting was funny, Danny didn't stand a chance.

"Well, don't look now, but he may get the chance." Diane looked nervously over Kit's shoulder.

"Hi, Baby." She heard Danny walk up behind her.

"We can catch up later." Diane said as she walked off.

"Coward." Kit said after her.

Diane just looked back over her shoulder; Kit could see fear in her eyes. What did she have to be afraid of?

She felt a hand on her waist, and almost reacted. She still had Logan's instincts in her mirror. She knew she didn't want any trouble so she stepped away from him instead of breaking his arm.

"What do you want, Danny?" She turned around. He was standing there in jeans and a T shirt, not his sheriff's uniform.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw you with that freak."

"Freak; I don't know any freaks, oh wait yes I do, the one that burned down my family's house, now who could that be, I wonder?" She glared at him.

"The fire marshal declared it bad wiring in the basement." He had a smug grin on his face.

"Hrm. Wonder who's pocket he's living in - whatever." She flipped her wrist at him dismissively and turned to push the basket down the aisle.

"So, you back home for good, or just helping with the rebuild." He walked along side her, one hand kept straying to the center of her back.

"_Logan_" said his name with emphasis "and I are here to help get the farm back running, and then we will go back to New York."

"Logan, who the hell is that?" Danny was getting angry.

"My fiancé, Danny." Kit glared at him. She turned her left hand so he could see the flash of the ring. She wished he would get the hint and just go away before she really hurt him.

"Fiancé - you getting married? When?"

"Yes. We have been engaged for a while, but he's trying to get me to set a date now."

"Really? Is he a friend of your sister's freak?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"That mutant your sister is fucking. The one that got her knocked up. Monsters like that should be taken out and shot."

"Hrm. Vic isn't going to like that she is sleeping with some freak. He has a bit of a temper you know. I'd keep it quiet if I were you."

She could see Danny getting frustrated with her. Vic chose that moment to come down the aisle. He had several two packs of infant onesies, and some baby blankets in one hand and a package of diapers under one arm. He growled at Danny, and Danny stepped back.

"Look who I ran into, Vic." She gave him a huge, fake smile. She knew he was as ready to raise some hate and discontent as she was.

"If it isn't the deputy." Vic growled.

"How's the freak, it looked more like a dog than a baby." Danny hissed at Vic. Kit pushed the basket up and put a hand on Vic's arm.

"Don't let him get to you." She said softly.

"Let's go Kit; we have to pick up Mom." Vic pushed the basket toward a register.

Danny glared at them while they checked out and pushed the basket of bags to the truck. He stood at the door of the store as they loaded the truck and got in. Kit realized she forgot to pick up Logan's cigars.

"Vic, drop me at the smoke shop, I forgot to pick up cigars for Logan, do you want any while I am there. Pick up mom and then come and get me."

"Na, I'll smoke the Runt's. Be careful. Norris is dangerous."

"I will." Kit jumped out of the truck, and he drove off.

The bell over the door rang as she stepped in. Behind the counter a Native American woman was reading a magazine.

"Can I help you?" She asked, as she set the magazine down on the counter.

"Yes, I need a box of Honduran cigars." Kit said. The bell rang behind her. Danny walked in.

"Here you go, that will be sixty-five."

"Since when do you smoke?"

"They are for my fiancé." She handed over the cash, and took the bag. Logan had left his box back in the room and they didn't know how long they would be here. She knew he wouldn't go without for long.

"Well, he has good taste." Danny said. She brushed past him, and he grabbed her arm. "Let's go talk, Kit."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Well, I have something to say to you." He gripped her elbow, hard. That was going to leave a bruise. Shit! - Logan was really going to be pissed.

She let him push her out the door and around the side of the building.

"Kit, do you remember prom, how nice it was; you and me, after the prom, back at my Dad's place." He leaned over her, trying to kiss her.

"Back off, Romeo, I am engaged." She pushed hard against his chest. He had her backed against the side of the building.

"So what? That don't mean shit." He grabbed her hand, trying to yank the ring off her finger. She balled her left hand up into a fist. "You know you still want me." He reached out to touch her face with his other hand and she flinched. He slapped her, hard, slamming her head against the wall. That was going to leave another bruise.

"What was that for?"

"A reminder, I always win, Kit, you know that." She seriously considered kneeing him in the groin. He bent down to try to kiss her again and she turned away. He grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground. She reared back and kicked him with all her weight behind it, aiming for the groin, but he blocked the blow. He pulled back with his other hand, doubled his fist and punched her, hard in the stomach. She bowed her head and closed her eyes. He just made a bad move.

She allowed the energy to flow, to absorb what he was going to do, and using what she had absorbed from Logan she began to fight back. He wasn't prepared for that. He landed blows, but she managed to land as many on him. He backed off, yelling for help, and suddenly there were three more people involved. She didn't recognize them. One grabbed her from behind, and her memory tried to pop claws from her fist. Damn, well she could still fight. The fight was four on one, and she was holding her own, she knew she was outnumbered. She knew she was in trouble when she felt at least two ribs crack when one of the men landed a kick. One of the men managed to get a grip on her hair, and yanked her head back. Danny stepped in front of her, one hand on the front of her shirt. He started to pull, tearing the neck.

"We'll see how your fiancé feels about used goods, bitch." He snarled at her, the shirt ripping further, as the man behind her pinned her arms to her side. Danny ripped the shirt down the front, exposing her bra. His hands groped her before trying to unfasten her jeans. She heard a roar from the front of the store, and Vic came around the building, his eyes black. He grabbed two of the men and threw them against the wall. He grabbed Danny, swung him around and slashed him across the chest with his claws. Danny went down, clutching his chest as blood welled through his fingers. The man behind her pulled a knife and put it to her throat. Vic just grinned, she heard a sound from behind her and the man dropped like a rock, the knife just grazing her skin. She turned around and Nancy was standing there, a two by four in her hand.

"Shit, Mom." Kit said, coughing, she pulled her hand away from her neck, a smear of blood on her hand.

"They'll live." Vic said.

"Leave them, Vic. Danny will think twice before causing any more problems, and if not well you can kill him later, if Logan doesn't get to him first." Kit's voice was cold. She knew Danny heard her. He looked at her, sneering, the blood from the scrapes across his chest already drying. As she walked by, she kicked out and broke his nose with her shoe.

"You chose the wrong person to fuck with, Danny. Logan will kill you for this."

His eyes rolled up into his head and he passed out, the fucking wuss. Damn, Logan was rubbing off on her, and she thought she liked it.

"Damn, I may smoke one of those cigars." She said, laughing, as she picked up the bag.

"No you won't young lady." Her mother said.

"I was joking, Mom." Vic looked at her, and laughed.

While Nancy was getting into the truck, Vic pulled Kit aside.

"There's a cave, about half a mile from the camp. I left blankets, food, and a portable propane heater there. Mia and I used it a couple times." He whispered.

"I know the cave." Kit said a questioning tone in her voice.

"You might want to take Logan there later. When he sees you he's gonna be pissed and is going to need some time to calm down, and some privacy might be in order. I don't want you having sex in my living room either." She laughed. "By the way, you look like hell."

"Gee, thanks, Vic." She said as she walked to the truck. She winced as she climbed into the cab. The adrenaline must be wearing off; those ribs were going to hurt for a while.

They made it back to the farm. Logan and Frank were still working on the foundation, so she was able to slip into the house unseen. She slipped into the bathroom. Shit! - She did look like hell. A black eye and split lip she could explain, but the bruises on her cheek, the huge bruise on her ribs and stomach, the palm sized bruise on her elbow and the splits in her knuckles were going to be hard to explain. FUCK! - Logan was going to kill her. No worse, he was going to get pissed, go after Danny, and make things worse, and then he was going to come back and yell, and yell, and yell, and finally storm off, until she went after him. Shit! Fuck! Shit! FUCK!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Logan could tell something was wrong when Vic walked up. His hands were clenched at his sides and Logan could smell fresh blood on the giant's hands. Frank looked over at him, and they both stopped working. Victor had his head bowed, and Logan could swear he looked guilty about something.

"What happened?" Frank asked.

"I dropped Kit off to pick up some cigars while I picked up Nancy, and…Danny and some friends attacked her." He just stood there; Logan could tell he was waiting for an explosion.

"Is she alright?" Logan asked, fear and rage starting to build.

"She did ok, in a four on one fight. I got there before anything serious happened."

"Is she hurt?"

"I think she has some cracked ribs and some bruises." Vic said clenching and unclenching the fists at his side.

"Is she breathing ok?" Cracked ribs could mean a punctured lung, and she didn't have his healing ability.

"Yea, if she hadn't been I would have taken her to the hospital." He started moving toward Victor, and it shocked him to see the big man cringe.

He slowly dropped the shovel he was holding at Victor's feet, and walked toward the small house. Vic stopped him. "She's afraid –"

"Afraid? Of me?" He turned and looked at Victor.

"She's afraid you will go after Danny, or be angry at her."

"Danny and I will talk, later. Right now, I just want ta make sure she is ok." He could hear the strain in his own voice. Victor just nodded, and let him go.

He walked into the house. Nancy was standing in the kitchen, putting away groceries. There was a new gas grill right outside the kitchen door. Mia was sitting in the living room, going through the baby things they had picked up. He sniffed the air. She was in the bathroom.

"Logan…" Nancy started but he just ignored her and went down the hall.

"Kit, open the door." He stood outside, one hand on each door jam.

"It's not locked, jerk." She said from behind the door. He could smell fear. Shit she **was **afraid; he thought they had solved this. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his own fear.

He opened the door. She was standing there in her jeans, the torn T shirt on the floor. He could see the bruise spreading on her side and around her back, one on her elbow, and a trail of blood under the fringe of hair at her neck. He clenched his fists a moment, and then took a deep breath.

"Need help wrapping that?" He said, gently pointing to her side. She started at his voice.

"Please." She said quietly. He could hear the tears in her voice. She had an ace bandage in her hand. She had been trying to wrap it herself. He took the bandage and held the end against her uninjured side.

"Put your hand here, hold it tight." He wrapped the bandage tightly across her chest, under her bra, wrapping it four times. He was careful not to touch her skin, he didn't know what she had been through, and that ripped shirt had him worried. After the final wrap he gently pressed the Velcro closure against the bandage. That should support the ribs. He finally looked at her face; the eye was a real shiner. There was a huge palm shaped bruise on her cheek, a swollen, split lip and a small cut just above her jugular. His hands were trembling as he grabbed the pedestal sink on either side of her. He leaned in and kissed her lips, licking the blood off the split lip. He pulled her gently against his chest, and held her; he wasn't sure which of them was trembling more.

"You ok?" He asked softly, against her hair.

"Yea, thanks, Logan." He smiled. Well he was Logan again.

"You know I am going ta have a talk with him and his friends." He whispered, trying to keep the snarl out of his voice.

"Yea, I know." She was trembling in his arms. He felt dampness against his shoulder, and smelled the salt of her tears.

"Baby, Vic said you did good, you held your own in a four on one fight. I'm proud of ya." He whispered the last as he buried his face in her hair.

"What? I thought you would be angry because I left Vic."

"Baby, I know better. You didn't think there would be a problem, hell, I thought it would be my past biting us in the ass, not yours." He felt her shoulders shake with almost silent laughter.

"So, you are ok with … this."

"No, I am not ok with you getting hurt. I wanted ta make sure you are ok; I am not going to kill him - yet. He burned down your home, attacked you, he will meet my claws eventually, but right now, you are all I am worried about."

He left her in the bathroom and went to get her a clean shirt. He helped her out of the bathroom and to the couch.

"Well I guess you and I are sitting out the rebuild." Mia said as her sister sat on the couch next to her. She looked at the bruises her sister was sporting. "Was it just Danny or the whole damned football team, sis?"

"Just Danny and three friends, but next time, Logan can buy his own cigars." She threw him a bag from the floor. Inside was a box with his favorite cigars. This is what she had been doing. He sat on the floor, and laid his head on her knee, fighting the burn in the back of his eyes. She had been hurt trying to do something for him.

"Darlin, I love you." He said, looking up at her, he knew she could see the moisture in his eyes.

"No you love the cigars." She grinned down at him, but stroked his cheek gently.

"Baby, I love you. I can't always be there, I can't always protect you, but I will always love you." He felt the tear slip from his eye, only to be caught by her stroking fingers. He understood, finally. He finally trusted her, trusted her to make her own judgments, including about him. All he could do was love her, love her and trust her.

She caressed his face, smiling down at him. "I love you, too, Logan."

The rest of the afternoon was quiet. Victor and Frank finished checking the foundation, and everything was ready for the contractors in the morning. There wasn't going to be much for Logan and Kit to do, and he wanted to get her out of here. When Scott showed up to check on them, he was going to try to talk her into going back to the mansion. They had a hot diner thanks to the grill, and they all decided to turn in early. It had been a long day for everyone. He just held her as she slept, before slipping into sleep himself. She was there, and that is what mattered. Safety was relative, especially for mutants these days.


	6. Six of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

A/N please be kind with this chapter. It has been very hard to write for some reason. It will be more fleshed out when I get to the second draft, but the basic plot movement is there.

Six of Hearts

Hank looked down at his hands. They were trembling. He was sitting in his office, his hands trembling. Nancy and Frank had left yesterday, after checking his blood panel and letting him know in no uncertain terms that this reaction was perfectly normal. He had waited years, literally, to feel this, and now that it was here, he was afraid. There were so many complications, so many obstacles to overcome.

She was a minor, for one. She was a mutant, a feral mutant as well, he had never heard of two ferals having a Y factor reaction. He looked at the blood panel again. Pheromones elevated, hormonal levels elevated, his mind wasn't functioning, he wasn't sleeping, and all he could do was dream, dreams that if he allowed himself to make them reality would land him in jail. He leaned his head into his trembling hands, tears flowing down his face.

"Remy need to talk to you, homme." The red eyed youth stood at the door to his office.

"How may I be of service, young man?" He tried to sound calm. This young man was the closest thing to family she had. He wanted to know more about her and alienating this young man wasn't the way to do it.

The young Cajun lowered himself into one of the chairs in front of his desk, his feet out and crossed at the ankles. Lounged, that is what Hank thought, he lounged.

"It 'bout Mike, Remy worried, non." Hank looked up immediately. What was wrong with Michelle? He felt beads of sweat break out on his forehead, and the trembling increased.

"Is she alright?" The young man looked at him, sliding his sunglasses down his nose to glare at him over the rim.

"She will be, when you leave de chere alone."

"What?"

"I see how you look at de chere, she jus a chil, she don need no big animal like you hittin on her."

"I can assure you, there is no 'hitting on' even being considered. I am quite aware of Miss DeVarney's youth. I am afraid the reaction is purely physical, something that can be resisted for a limited amount of time. She is in no danger." The young man's brotherly concern was no threat to him, but he still had a driving urge to protect her.

"You stay away from de chere, or Remy make sure you don go near any chere again, comprendre."

"I am quite clear on your meaning. Let me make myself perfectly clear to you as well. The young lady is perfectly safe. No one and nothing will harm her, including me. I have given the professor my resignation, and I will be returning to New York City, to the United Nations, full time. Michelle will remain here, until she is old enough to make her own choices, at that time I will return. I have waited years for a woman like her, and I will not give up this opportunity easily." The last came out of his mouth as a growl. He shocked himself. He thought he had better control than that.

"Mike ain' had a whole lot o' dem…choices dat is." He snarled back, Hank recognized the protectiveness he felt.

"Please, tell me about her. What her interests are; her recreational activities?"

"Damn, you jes don' get it. Mike ain' fo you. You don' need to know 'bout her interests or her recreational activities, homme, 'cuz you ain' never gonna take part in dem no way." The young man took a deck of cards out of the pocket of his jacket.

"Please, let me explain…if you understand, perhaps you can help Michelle, she will be going through this, and she will have to go through it alone. All of those who understand have left or will be leaving shortly."

"What you talkin 'bout. De chere not goin through no'tin; comprendre." He watched as Gambit pulled one of the cards from the deck, energy crackling along the surface of the card.

"No, it is you who do not understand. I only want what is best for Michelle. You are her friend, her frère, it will fall to you to take care of he while I am away."

"What dat mean?" He cocked his head to one side, the energy dying down on the card in his hand.

"This is not something that is easy for anyone to go through. I have seen three couples endure the beginnings of this bond; it can be quite disruptive to both thought and body. Michelle is my mate, biologically." He held up a hand, stopping Remy's outburst. "I will not act on this bond until she is of age, but know I already care deeply for her, enough that I am leaving…for her sake – to protect her.

"De chere, she like to keep up on all de goins on 'roun her – stay inform' so dat she not have no surpises, non? As for tings she like to do…she ain' had much time fo tings like dat. She was jes a kid when I foun her on de streets. She didn' say much 'bout her family, none, jes dat the people she were livin wid weren't very nice. She's one of de mos talented lightfinger I ever met, can tell who got de grift an who doin de pose from over a hun'red yard. She care 'bout dos kids back in de Easy, dat de only recreational activities de chere, o' me fo' dat matter been havin, takin care of dos kids."

"Jes so's you know, I don' like you much, I don' trus you roun de Mike." Remy just glared at him over the shades. He stood up, and gave him a grimace. "Gambit be watchin you, mon ami, watchin ta make sure de chere has her choice." The young man sauntered out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That blue man was going to bear watching. Remy didn't like this whole mate business, Mike wasn't as tough as she liked to appear, and all that blue beast had to do was crook his finger at her and she would beg to be at his beck and call. Remy needed to make sure she was safe. She was his sister, his friend, and nothing and no one was going to hurt her if he could help it.

Then there was the girl with the streak in her hair – Rogue. That was one fine fille, and aptly named. _That Rogue was going to steal his heart if he wasn't careful_. He thought, a smile on his face. The icy boy wasn't any competition. There was the whole not being able to touch her skin, but he was always up for a challenge.

Speaking of, there she was, sitting in the library.

"Hello, Chere, de sun has come out, now dat Remy has seen you." She glared at him. He laughed. She was his; she just didn't realize it yet.

"Ya know, Ah'm tryin ta study here. Ah don't need a swamp rat stinkin up tha place." She sneered at him. _Swamp rat was it?_ He gave her a big grin. This chere was a challenge that was for sure.

"Gambit tink you spen too much time studyin, an not enough time livin." He leaned back on one of the bookcases.

"Ah think you spend too much time talkin 'bout yourself in tha third person, some English classes might fix that." She slammed the book closed and picked up her backpack. She pushed past him, but he wasn't going to allow that. He reached out and pulled her against his chest.

"Remy tink dos lips need a good kissin." He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers. She pulled back.

"Only if you want ta end up in a coma." She hissed at him. He just smiled, and captured her mouth with his, plunging his tongue deep, demanding. He felt a sudden pull, like she was absorbing him, and pulled back.

"No, chere, jest wanted a taste." He licked his lips. She tasted sweet, like vanilla ice cream. "You need a man dat can kiss you right." He leaned down and captured her mouth again, stopping just as the pull hit. "See, dat was better, non? You got de wall of ice built roun' dat heart and Ice boy can't melt shit, he's made of ice. You need a man dat can make fire."

He slipped his hand down to the end of her scarf, and laid it across her mouth and kissed her again, hard. The material of the scarf was rough against his tongue as he invaded her mouth. She pushed against him, at first, resisting, but then, he felt her arms slip around his neck. She liked this, she moaned against his mouth, her tongue responding to his. One hand was on her back, pulling her closer, the other holding the scarf in place. Her skin was deadly, yes, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to enjoy every second. He felt her shift in his arms, rubbing against his growing arousal, when she shifted hard, and slammed a knee right into his groin. Stars exploded behind his eyes.

"Mon Dieu." He shouted as he went down, clutching himself.

"That's what ya get for getting fresh." She flicked her hair back over her shoulder and walked away.

"Chere, dis mean war." He whispered after her. Oh yes, this meant war.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mike heard Remy scream in the library. She saw Rogue come out of there with a big grin on her face and knew he had done something. She ran into the library to check on him. He was still on the floor rolling, holding himself.

"Damn, I tol you dat fille was gona be de death of you." Mike said as she helped him stand up.

"She don know it, but Gambit get even." His eyes were glowing, dangerously.

"What you do, try ta kiss her or something." He just glared at her. That was it, she just laughed. "She don need you messin roun. She has de petit ami."

"Not for long. Remy goin ta steal her heart." Mike just shook her head.

"An what 'bout Belle?"

"You leave de Belle out of dis."

"Urm hrum. You epouse don matter in dis huh." Mike glared at him. She knew he and Belle were long over, but she was still his wife.

"What Belle don know won' hurt her none."

Mike just snorted. She heard a sound in the hallway outside the library and turned. Dr. McCoy was standing there, a suitcase in one hand, talking to Professor Xavier and Ms. Monroe.

"I will be available if you need me, Charles. But I feel that under the circumstances, I need to be at the UN at the moment." He was shaking the Professor's hand.

Mike felt like a huge fist had grabbed a hold of her chest and was squeezing. He was leaving.

"We will miss you, Hank." Ororo was saying. "I hate seeing you leave. With Logan gone helping with the farm, I hate losing you right now."

"This is for the best. Michelle is too young, not ready for what is happening. I need to get away, to put some distance between us, before I do something rash." He was leaving because of her. What was he afraid of doing?

"Don't you want to at least say good bye, explain what is going on. Doesn't she at least deserve that?" Ororo put her hand on his arm. Mike wanted to rip that hand off her arm, her teeth bared and a low snarling growl rose from her throat.

"No, it is best if I leave. Nancy will be back at some point, she can explain it better than I can. I will return, to check on her, but I will not do anything to cause her harm." What could that farm wife explain to her that he couldn't? She wanted to step out there, to demand an explanation, but something held her back, wouldn't allow her to move.

**Please Michelle, let him go for now. He will return for you, when you are old enough. There is nothing in the world that would stop him. Don't let his memory of you be tainted by a scene. Let him leave with his dignity intact. We will keep you safe, protect you from harm, and when he is ready he will return, to claim that which you so freely offer.**

It was the first time the Professor had spoken to her telepathically. It felt strange, having someone talk inside her head. **For now, but someone better be explainin exactly what de hell is goin on roun here.**

**If you will meet me in my office, after he leaves, I will offer what explanation I can. Please don't let him know you witnessed this. If he knew, it would cause him great distress.**

She nodded, knowing the Professor would know her agreement.

She heard the front door open, and then close. She felt Remy's hand on her shoulder.

"Chere, you alright?"

"Non." She looked at the floor. "I don' know if I'll ever be alright again." She whispered.

"Dat Beast ain worth your tears, chere; he's too old for you no way." She shrugged off his arm.

"You don' know shit, Remy LeBeau." She snarled at him, fangs flashing. Remy backed up a step.

"Mike, dat beast ain' worth you time. De's lots of de beaus here, don' let dat ol' man tie you up in knots."

"Shut it, Remy. I got a meeting wid da Professor. You go play your games, Remy. Dat all it is to you, a game." She walked away.

The door to the Professor's office was open, and he was sitting behind his desk.

"Michelle, this is a difficult time for both you and Hank. This particular reaction is not unusual; in fact there are three other couples at the moment who have undergone similar circumstances. Yours is unique in that Hank's position makes it impossible to pursue this relationship until you are of a legal age."

"Wait a minute, you are saying dat he feel de same way I do?"

"Yes."

"Den why he leavin?"

"Because he is the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, to be seen in a relationship, particularly an intimate relationship, with a minor would jeopardize not only his own reputation and position, but the standing and position of mutants in general, not to mention the legal ramifications."

"Oh." Intimate relationship; he wanted to have an intimate relationship with her? She felt her heart skip a couple beats. That could be worth waiting for.

Charles laughed. "Yes, definitely worth waiting for." She blushed.

"I will keep him apprised of your progress, and wellbeing. I think perhaps we need to begin teaching you the finer points of diplomacy, etiquette, and diplomatic relations. I believe private lessons with Ms. Monroe and I in the evenings, to help jumpstart your career as an ambassador's mate, partner, and believe me his intentions are, wife." Her heart stopped at that word. She could see herself in his bed, in his arms, but at his _SIDE_. He needed a lady for that, and a lady was something she definitely wasn't.

"I don tink I can do dis. I am jes a swamp rat from New Orleans. I ain't sure I can be nothin else." She was afraid. The last thing she wanted was to disappoint him, to harm him or his career in any way. She was just a runaway from the bayou, he needed a society girl, someone who could talk and walk and dress correctly.

"And by the time we are through with you, you will be exactly what he needs. You will not lose your charm, your individual identity, but we will polish you. You will become an educated young woman, capable of handling whatever life throws at you. You will master your own abilities, and learn to use them to assist in diplomatic situations. I know you intend to remain here with us, even if Mr. LeBeau leaves, and we are your best chance to blossom into the woman – the lady – you want to become."

"I need to tink bout dis, bout what you sayin. I ain't makin no decisions wid out takin time ta tink it through." Could they do it, could they turn her from a swamp rat into a lady? She had her doubts.

"There is your first lesson." She smiled at the older man.

The phone on the desk rang, and she slipped out the door as he answered. She heard him ask if Kit was alright, and then she heard Scott running down the stairs, to the elevator. Sounded like trouble in Oklahoma. She climbed the stairs to her room. Jubilee was sitting on her bed, and looked up as she walked in.

"Hey, chica, I saw Hank leaving. You ok?"

"I'm not sure bout dat." She sat on the end of her bed. Jubilee was a good listener, if you could get her to shut up.

"So what's going on? Why'd he leave? Who will be teaching biology?" She just glared at Jubilee and flopped flat on her back on the bed.

"I don know. All I know is dat I have extra classes wid de Professor and Ms. Monroe in de evenings, an de wan me ta learn diplomacy an stuff. Sometin bout bein able ta help Hank when I get old enough." Jubilee came over and sat on the bed next to her.

"WHOA. That sounds pretty serious to me, chica. Sides did you realize you just called him Hank not Dr. McCoy." Mike just covered her face with her hands. Shit this was getting worse by the minute.

"How bad was it las night, Jube."

"Oh, just moaning his name every five minutes or so. I put in my earplugs. You know, you really need to figure something out, Kit was a pain in the ass when she went through this with Logan."

"Kit an Logan are like dis?'

"Yea, I told you about it, remember. Kit and Logan, Mia and Vic, and Mia and Kit's parents, too, it is something called the Y factor. Kit tried to explain it to me once, but it didn't make much sense."

"You tink you can 'splain it to me?"

"I can try. Kit said it had to do with the part of humans that make them want to settle down with one person, she called it the monogamy instinct - that makes no sense to me, I mean who wants to stick to one guy forever - whatever. The X gene is passed through the male DNA, so mutation comes from our dads, but the Y factor is something in all of us that comes through our moms, it goes back to whatever it was that evolved when we became human. In some people, I guess men and women, it is really strong, and somehow, feral mutants are affected more by it than others. Anyway, when two people who have the right hormone and pheromone reactions to each other, it causes them to, well form some kind of bond; fall in love I guess, although Kit hated Logan at first - and lately - I am not so sure about love, they are fighting all the time. Mia and Vic are more like what I imagine it being like."

"What do you mean by dat?"

"Well, Vic used to be the baddest badass in the world, probably still is, especially if anyone threatens Mia or the baby. I used to be scared shitless of him. He is so huge, and you can believe me he didn't used to think twice about using his claws and killing anyone or anything in his way. Did you see him; he was carrying a fucking diaper bag? I mean he nearly killed Rogue and Logan a couple years ago, and I NEVER would have thought he and Wolvie would be friends, but damn, they are going to be brothers in law, if Wolvie will ever let Kit set a date for the wedding. I mean, I guess we see a different side of Vic because of Mia, and now the baby. I know I don't ever want to meet him in a dark alley pissed off, but round here he is just a big prankster, and now that the baby is here, he is all CUTE, ewwwwwwww."

Mike looked at Jubilee like she had lost her mind. Victor Creed was NOT cute. Ok so maybe when he was teasing her in the kitchen the other day, that was kind of cute, but…oh God, she thought back to everything she had ever heard or read about Sabertooth. It didn't match anything she had seen here, at all.

"So dis Y factor ting, it be what calmed him down, non?"

"That is what the Professor and Nancy thinks. Nancy is the expert on it, so when they get back you might talk to her about it."

"An dis ting, it not someting dat goes away, right?"

"Nope it drove Kit insane while Logan was gone, after Jean came back. Vic and Mia are so dumb about each other it is hilarious."

"So, you tink Hank will be back?"

"Oh yea, did you hear him say why he left?"

"Non." She remembered what the professor said about his dignity.

"It must be something at the UN or something. He'll be back."

She hoped so. She was filled with doubts. She didn't think she could be what he wanted, what the Professor said he needed. She would be glad to meet him privately, glad to be his mistress, his lover - away from the public, but to be seen publicly with her, she wouldn't shame him that way. There was no way she could be of any help to his career – his life; no way she would pull this off, no matter how much everyone thought she could.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He looked at his desk, his hands clenched. He had meetings with committees and subcommittees all afternoon, but he couldn't get her dark hair out of his mind, or the flash of her amber eyes. He shook his head, yet again, and his secretary looked at him.

"Are you alright, Dr. McCoy?"

"I'll be fine; it's just a little bug. When is the subcommittee meeting for the mutant's rights platform again?"

"Two o'clock this afternoon."

"I will attend, is there anything else pressing on my schedule. I need to unpack at the apartment."

"Nothing pressing until in the morning, will you be staying in the city for a while then?"

"Yes, indefinitely, so any messages forward them to the apartment or my cell phone."

"Will there be anything else, Doctor?"

"No."

She left, closing his office door. He closed his eyes. He had a little time to try to relax before the subcommittee meeting. He was going to throw himself into his work, it was the only thing he could do. He had six months before she became a legal prospective mate, and even that would be frowned upon. It would be at least several years before he could openly be involved with her, and he knew it was going to take every ounce of his will power to control the factor until then.


	7. Seven of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

Seven of Hearts

She was lying on the couch. The night had been fairly uneventful, but she still hadn't slept much. Her ribs hurt, Logan had been so gentle with her, helping her lay down, making sure she didn't move too much, but they still hurt. He ended up making her lay on the couch, wouldn't let her sleep on the floor with him, he was afraid he would hurt her more.

He and Vic were in the dining room, talking quietly over lunch, and she knew they were planning some kind of reprisal for the attack. She knew he would do something, she could feel the tension in him every time he touched her. If she closed her eyes she could see it, glowing from his body, every muscle tense. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop him, but she would be damned if she was going to approve the two of them going off to kill someone she had known all her life.

She watched as both men looked up suddenly, and Logan looked over at her, and motioned her to the floor. She rolled off the couch and laid flat, the jar to her ribs causing her to bite her lip in pain. Vic ducked low, and made his way to the bedroom, bringing Thomas out and laying him next to Kit; Mia followed him slowly, and crawled over and lay beside the baby. Frank came out of the other bedroom, shirt open and a shotgun in his hand, Nancy behind him, a pistol in hers. Kit looked at her mother in shock. Logan was next to the front door, claws out waiting, and Vic was standing between the windows, looking out.

Now Kit could hear what the men had heard, voices, loud voices, angry, shouting, and coming up the drive to the house.

"Send out the freak, Jamison, and no one will get hurt." She heard Danny shouting. "He don't belong here, and we intend to make him go away. The kid can be raised right, to know its place, but that freak needs to go."

"Get off my farm, Norris. This is my land, my home, and I will allow who I want on it."

"You don't get it, Frank. These mutants need to be taught a lesson. The one you have here, I did some checking. He is violent, dangerous; a danger to you, and Nancy, Mia and the brat. He is a danger to Kit." She watched as Logan's eyes narrowed.

"The only danger to Kit is you, Norris. I don't appreciate my fiancé coming back with broken ribs."

"Who is that?"

"Name's Logan, Logan Howlett, and you need to keep your hands to yourself, asshole." Kit glared at him. The only asshole around here was him, and only when she was pissed.

A shotgun blast hit the front door, causing pieces of it to shatter into the room. Mia and Kit covered the baby with their arms to protect him. Kit pulled her hand back; his tiny claws were as sharp as needles. Mia smiled with pride. She was so sickening. She stuck her tongue out at her sister, and Mia just chuckled.

"Send out the freak." Danny shouted again. Logan held up both hands, claws retracted, to let them know there were at least ten people outside. He tossed Nancy the satellite phone and indicated she should call for assistance.

"Ain't no way, Norris." Vic shouted. "You ain't hurtin my family."

"What family, you freak, you won't even marry her; human woman not good enough to marry for the big bad Sabertooth." Danny taunted. Vic growled, low. Kit could feel it vibrate through the floor. He looked over at Mia, and she watched her sister just look at him, and smile, and he calmed down, and mouthed 'I love you' back to her sister. They were both sickening.

Kit heard a sound from the back of the house. She knew Logan had heard it as well; he looked over at her, motioning her to stay down. She glared at him, pulled a cushion down from the couch to help cover the baby, and crept to stand next to the kitchen door, ready in case anyone tried to come in that way. She grabbed a knife from the butcher block on the way, and was ready. Logan glared at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him. He grinned and she gave him an exaggerated wink. She was so in trouble when they got out of this.

Suddenly there was a crash in the front, and two men came in the front door, guns out. Logan didn't even give them a chance; he grabbed the first one by his leading arm and twisted him around, plunging his claws low into his back. The second one was following so closely behind the first, that he was hit by the first man's arm, and knocked off balance, falling right into Vic, who slashed his chest with his claws. Mia covered the baby to protect him from the blood spray. Another man came in the back door almost at the same time and Kit managed to trip him, his head hitting the island counter, and knocking him cold. She grabbed the gun out of his hand, and slipped it into the back of her jeans waistband. She waited for another intruder to come in the back, but if there was one, seeing the first one go down so quickly changed their mind.

"Norris, stop this now, or more people are going to get hurt, and it won't be the people in this house." Her father shouted. She didn't think she had ever seen him this angry or this aggressive. He was kneeling, the barrel of the shotgun pointing out of an open window.

"We can stay here all night. We want the freak, that's it. Give him to us; the rest of you can go. Besides, I'm the law, anything happens to my friends, guess who they are going to believe."

"Danny, you ass" Kit shouted "I wouldn't give you a rabid dog."

"Shut the fuck up, you bitch. I ain't through with you, yet." He shouted back.

"Really creative there, dick wad." She taunted. Logan glared at her.

Things settled down for a bit. She couldn't hear any more sound in the back of the house, and Logan and Vic were listening to the movements out front. Vic kicked Mia a gun from one of the men who had come in the front. Nancy had made her way to the back window of the living room, and was watching for any movement that way.

There was a sudden roar, and blast of heat through the open back door. Kit glanced out and saw the Blackbird landing, ramp down, Scott and Rogue and Peter balanced on the end ready to jump. Kit waved to let them know the back was clear. As the plane landed, there was another loud shotgun blast from the front of the house. Kit looked and saw Logan clutching his side. Shit, she would be pulling shotgun pellets out of him for a week now. Three men rushed the front door, and Danny was one of them. He saw Kit at the back door, and didn't pay any attention to the sides. He had a look of intense hatred on his face.

Logan stood up from his crouch, and grabbed Danny by the throat. "That's **my** girl." He growled, right before putting his fist in Danny's gut. Danny looked at him, and grinned. She knew he was underestimating Logan, and smiled. She didn't want to see Logan kill him, but getting his ass kicked would be fun to watch. The other two men were having difficulties of their own. Mia had one at gunpoint, and the other was dangling off the floor, Vic's claws around his throat.

"What do you want me to do with this one, lover?" Mia asked her mate in a sickly sweet tone.

"Shoot him, Darlin, I'm a little busy."

"I can hold him if you want to play with your food." Kit almost doubled over in laughter as the man pissed his pants. Scott, Peter and Marie came running in the back door.

"Put them down." Scott yelled.

Logan and Victor both looked at Scott. "WHAT!"

Scott's hand was on his visor, and a red blast went right through the front door, hitting two men trying to rush the door, shotguns in hand.

"I was talking to them." Logan and Victor both laughed.

"Let's get everyone out of here." Kit helped Mia wrap the baby up, and out the door to the plane. Nancy grabbed Frank and started pulling him toward the back door.

"No this is my home; I am not letting these bigots run me out."

"Frank, we can't fight this, not like this. Mia and the baby need to get to safety. Kit is hurt, we can't do this now. We can always come back when things settle down. NOW, Frank."

He looked at his wife, and followed her to the plane. Vic dropped the man he was holding, and looked at Logan.

"I'll be along in a minute. I have a few words to say to Deputy Studmuffin here." Logan said to the big man.

"Just remember he tried to blow up my mate and cub." Victor said as he headed past Kit.

"My advice to you is forget all about this, about your little crusade. We are here and here to stay, and believe me; Kit is far better protected than you think." He popped a set of claws right in front of Danny's face with his signature SNIKT. "I come with built in hardware, I think I win the pissing contest."

He pulled back the hand with the extended claws and drove them straight at Danny's face, right before puncturing him he retracted them and hit him right across the jaw, knocking him unconscious. Kit let out the breath she had been holding.

"I wasn't going ta kill him." Logan said. "I didn't want ya mad at me again."

"Come on Jerk, let's go home." He walked over and picked her up in his arms.

"I like the sound of that."

She was carried, cradled in his arms, up the ramp and he settled her into one of the padded seats, fastening her harness, before sitting down next to her. Her parents were sitting across from them; her father had his head down, his shoulders shaking.

"Dad, this will pass over in time, we will be able to come home, but not yet. It's too soon." He looked up at her.

"But what can I do at that fancy school; I'm a farmer for crying out loud. I am going to feel useless."

"Well, actually, I have been hoping to talk to you about that." Kit turned and looked as Ororo walked out of the cockpit. "Several of the new students have expressed an interest in some form of ecology classes, including agricultural management. I have suggested to Professor Xavier that perhaps you might be the best one to teach those classes."

"I am not a teacher. I am a farmer." He looked up at the weather goddess.

"Yes, and that is exactly what I had in mind. Setting up a small working farm on the institute grounds, you can manage it, and allow the students who are interested to assist you. I am interested myself. I enjoy hydroponics and decorative flowers, but would like to learn more practical sides to horticulture." She sat down next to Frank.

Kit sat and listened to them father discuss the idea, and realized that this was something Ro had been thinking about for a while, not a spur of the moment idea. Logan laced his fingers through hers and she laid her head on his shoulder. Her eyes closed, and didn't open again until the slight jar of the plane settling into its hanger. Logan reached over and unfastened her harness.

"Let's get you to med lab, have Hank look at those ribs." Logan smiled at her.

"Hank left this afternoon. Jean is in charge of medical treatment." Ororo said.

"Never mind, I can wrap them myself."

"Logan, she is a doctor, she won't hurt Kit." Ro placed a calming hand on Logan's arm.

Logan just growled and picked her up, and carried her out of the plane, through the hanger and to the elevator.

"I don't have to see Jean, Logan. I will be fine." She said.

"No, you need to be checked. I am not leaving you though." She knew there were still issues with him and Jean. She hadn't seen the red head since the confrontation on the stairs, and wasn't entirely certain how she would react. Jean was becoming more and more unstable, even though the Professor said she was making progress. The elevator stopped at the first basement level, and Logan carried her out and down the hall to the med lab. Scott was standing outside the exam room door. He followed Logan into the room.

Jean was standing there, as Logan set Kit down on the exam table. He took her hand, and stood there, as Jean walked over.

"What is the problem?"

"Broken ribs and contusions mostly." Logan said as she looked at the bloodstained shirt he was wearing. "Not me, Kit."

Jean looked at her, her eyes starting to fade from green to black. "Logan, I told you I will be fine." Kit said, she felt Logan grip her hand, he could smell her fear. Jean's hand brushed against her wounded ribs and she flinched.

Jean probed gently, and then looked at the bruise on her stomach. "I want to get some X rays of those ribs; I think at least three cracked possibly another one bruised. I don't think there is any internal damage from the stomach contusion; the eye will heal on its own." Her voice was calm, professional. She might hate Kit, but she was a good doctor. Logan went with her to the X ray room; he wasn't leaving her alone with Jean for any reason.

**I have a question. What did you do to me in the hallway? It felt like all my power was being siphoned off, but without the other effects of Rogue's power.** Jean had never spoken to her telepathically before.

"I don't really know, I could see where the power was coming from, how your body was able to use it, I guess as part of the kinesthetic memory, and I tried to draw the memory. Something else happened. I don't know what. I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, just stop you from hurting Logan." Logan was looking at her strangely.

"Red, can we keep things where everyone can hear them, please." He said.

"Certainly." Jean smiled at him, but he wasn't looking at her. "Kit, I think your power is stronger than was first thought. You may have something closer to Rogue's ability to draw a mutant's abilities, without the life draining aspect. I don't recommend you experiment with it much; however, you might explore this with the Professor's supervision. I certainly don't want to be subject to it again. You weren't the only one to feel pain from the interaction."

The doctor turned to the screen showing her ribs. "Yes three broken, but not puncturing the lung. I will give you something for the pain, and you will have to keep wrapping them to prevent further injury for at least three weeks. There doesn't appear to be any other internal injuries, so I don't see any reason to keep you for observation." Logan followed them closely as she went into the exam room and unlocked the prescription cabinet. He watched as she put some pills in a bottle for Kit to take with her. She wanted to slap him, he was reeking suspicion. Jean wasn't being nice, but she wasn't trying to kill them either. She was doing her job as the doctor, and doing it well.

"Logan, do you want to sniff the bottle before I give it to her." Jean asked, her eyes black in anger.

"No, if you hurt her, I'll kill you, and you know it."

Jean's eyes faded back to green, and Kit suddenly felt sorry for her. They had been friends at one time, and now he was so suspicious of her. "Logan, be nice." She snapped. He glared at her, picking her up and carrying her out of the room.

"Logan, you were her friend once. I know things have been rough, but I honestly think she is trying to heal. Please try to give her a chance." She said as she leaned on his shoulder in the elevator to the main floor.

"I am trying. I just don't trust things that won't stay dead." His jaw was tight.

"Well if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black." Kit said with a smirk. "She won't stay dead…and you won't stay down. I am just asking you back off on the suspicion a bit. She needs time to heal; you can't expect her to be whole in this short a time. Of course if I ever catch her feeling you up like that again, I might bite her head off." He looked over at her and grinned as he scooped her back up into his arms.

"Baby, you have the teeth to do it too." He laughed as he carried her upstairs. They were both laughing as he kicked open their door and carried her home. He laid her down on the bed, and opened the pill bottle. He took a glass from the top of the fridge and went into the bathroom to fill it with water. She watched him in the mirror; sniff the bottle before taking out a pill and bringing it to her with the water. She just laughed at him and took her medicine.

"So, as I was saying…while we are here, and everyone is around, let's get this whole wedding thing settled."

"Oh, that's real romantic. Let's get this wedding thing settled." She laughed at the look on his face.

"Darlin, I want you ta be my wife, I ain't puttin it off anymore. I realized that keepin ya safe ain't the most important thing, makin ya happy is, and I ain't been doin that lately." He was looking at his hands again.

"Logan, I love you, and if you need time to get things settled, I don't mind waiting. Don't rush this because of me." She sat up in the bed, and realized that was a bad idea, between the medication making her head spin, and the pain of moving, she lay back down, quickly.

"This ain't the time ta be discussin this. We can talk in the mornin." He whispered as he kissed her forehead. He crinkled his nose as he pulled back, she looked at him, but he just shook his head. "Must be the meds, your scent is slightly off."

He unbuttoned his bloody shirt, and carried it over to the hamper. He kicked off his boots and set them near the chair. "I am going ta get a shower, Baby. I will be there in a bit." She just smiled and let the medication take her into sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She stood on her balcony. She and Nancy had finally convinced Frank to agree to start the small learning farm here at the school. She looked down at her long hands, and allowed her power to reach out, warming the air slightly. It would be a beautiful day tomorrow, she was certain.

There was a knock on the door. She turned and walked into the room.

"Come in."

Michelle walked in. It was time to begin her classes in diplomacy. Ro didn't know if this would work, but for her old friend's sake she hoped so. Hank deserved some happiness, and if this slip of a girl with her strangely salt and pepper hair and amber eyes could bring it to him, than she would do anything in her power to help.

"The Professor tol me dat you be startin de lessons." She said tentatively.

"Yes. We will begin with conversation. Tell me about your day." Ororo sat down in one of the chairs facing the balcony, gesturing Mike into the other one. The young girl sat down gingerly, fear radiating from her.

"It's been a rough one. What wid de Ambassador leavin, and Remy bein a pain in da ass, an now dese classes, I don know what people be 'spectin of me."

"Well, what I expect of you is to relax, to allow this to be a time you can talk, allow yourself to realize that you are an attractive young woman, with much to offer, and allow me to help polish your delivery a little bit so that your charm is evident. You will take regular lessons to finish your education here at the school, but these lessons will be to teach you how to talk, to express yourself, to realize that it is YOU Hank wants - and needs - at his side."

"Do you really believe dat?" There was hope in her eyes.

"Yes, I do. Hank has been a dear friend for many years, I have seen him go through many disappointments in his life, including turning blue." She laughed, causing the teen in front of her to laugh as well. "He is a kind, gentle soul, one who fears causing harm to anyone, that is why he works so hard to control his beast. He needs you, needs you to be his strength, his outlet, to allow him to vent, and still be strong enough to maintain who and what you are in the face of his career. He needs you to be a strong, independent woman, able to take care of yourself, maintain your own interests, friends, and eventually career. You will not just be the ornament on his arm, but his partner, his mate, his friend, his lover, sometimes his antagonist, and sometimes the one who has to yank him back when he loses himself in his work."

"I gona be honest, chere, I don tink I can do all dat. I jes a swamp rat."

"You are not 'just' anything, Michelle. You are so much more than where you were born, or how you grew up. Would you believe I was a street thief before I came here? I can pick any lock, probably pick your pocket, and could probably give you a run for your money at choosing the mark. You do it through your mutation, you can scent it, like Logan or Victor, you have learned to adapt that mutation to help you survive, well we will teach you another way to adapt it, to learn to scent out the lies in diplomacy, the truth in a diplomatic lie, and to be an extra set of eyes and ears to assist your mate when needed, and perhaps to find something you enjoy, that will be a diversion for you, so that you don't wrap your entire life up in your mate."

"I thought dat I jes going to be learnin de diplomat stuff."

"No, Michelle, you will be learning so much more. Eventually, I will teach you how to hold yourself, walk and talk as if you were a queen. I was once worshiped as a Goddess; I think there are a few tricks I can teach you, if you will let me." She winked at the girl.

"I tink I goin to be learnin many tings from you, ma ame."

The two women sat, talking long into the night. Both went to bed thinking of the lessons they had both taken from the night. A weather goddess was reminded that it isn't always the administration that makes a good teacher, and that withdrawing only punished those who needed her. She resolved herself to changing, to allow herself to care for these students again. They needed her.


	8. Eight of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

Eight of Hearts

They were sitting on the couch in their cabin. The baby was sleeping in his crib, and Mia and Vic were enjoying a few moments of peace. They were watching some action movie on television, she was curled up against his side, relaxed, her hands stroking over his naked chest. He was going to have to stop her soon, there was no way she would be able to finish what she was starting.

"Baby, enough" He kissed the top of her head, as he captured her fingers with his hand. "Not that it that doesn't feel good; but it feels too good at the moment" She giggled against his side, and looked up at him, her heart in her eyes. He loved it when she looked at him like that - her heart in her eyes, it made him feel like he could do anything.

"Sorry," she whispered, a slight blush across her cheeks. "You know, I could take care of YOU!"

"Don't apologize, I want you, I want to be inside of you - sue me." He laughed.

"I would, but …" there was a news break on the television. There had been an attack by the large robots and the Friends of Humanity in the Chicago area. He watched as the video cut to a man standing behind a podium. He sat up suddenly as the man's name flashed across the screen. Graydon Creed. It was another spiel about riding the world of mutants. What the hell? Mia looked at him, puzzled.

"What's going on, baby?"

"It ain't possible."

"What?"

"That man's name is Creed."

"So, it can't be that uncommon a name."

"No! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" He stood up, suddenly, Mia nearly falling on the floor. He reached out and grabbed his duster from the back of the chair. He pulled out a phone, and started dialing.

"Victor Creed what the hell is going on?" Mia shouted at him. He waved his hand at her trying to get her to calm down.

"Darlin, I am tryin ta find that out myself." The phone kept ringing. _Pick up the phone you bitch. _He thought as he paced the floor in front of the couch.

"Hello."

"Raven, what the hell is going on?"

"What do you mean? And quit calling me RAVEN!"

"Channel eight, New York."

"I have no idea…oh SHIT!"

"Oh SHIT is not good, _**Raven**_. You told me you took care of it." He growled the name.

"I did - sort of."

"Sort of?" He was building to a full rage, he could feel his vision changing, he hoped Mia would remember what he taught her, stay low, stay still, don't make herself a target.

"I left him at an orphanage." Oh shit was right. He felt the rage drain away, something colder taking its place, fear - Mia was going to KILL him.

"Raven?" He snarled into the phone.

"I couldn't kill him. I think I am regretting that now, but at the time he was so small, so innocent, I hoped he would be adopted, have a good family. He was HUMAN Victor, there was no way in hell I was raising a normal child."

"You FUCKING BITCH!" He shouted into the phone, he could hear small noises from the baby's room. He needed to keep it down, he didn't want to wake Thomas.

"You never asked, Victor." He could hear the contempt in her voice.

"You told me you took care of it! I fucking TRUSTED you to take care of it!"

"What, are you afraid the little woman is going to be upset that you have a grown son, now that you have the baby?" Her voice was dripping venom, like it did every time Mia was discussed.

"Shut up, bitch!" He spun around to check on Mia. She was glaring at him – tapping one foot, both hands on her hips, murder in her eyes. He was going to have to get off the phone. He was going to have to try to explain this. He hung up the phone, without any courtesy and turned to face the music.

"Victor Creed, you had better have an answer, what the hell is going on?"

"Shit. He is my kid." He bowed his head waiting for the storm.

"WHAt!"

"Thirty five years ago, Mystique and I had a – thing – a –"

"Relationship?"

"No. It was just sex." How could she think he had cared anything for that blue bitch.

"YOU HAD SEX WITH MYSTIQUE!!!!!"

"Thirty five FUCKING years ago – and that's all it was, SEX!"

"Have you had sex with her since?" Her foot was still tapping; how could she ask that?

"NO!" Damn, he was going to have to do something to convince her. He wasn't a saint by any means, but…

"Wait a minute. That man is your son by MYSTIQUE?!"

"Yes."

"You fucking BASTARD!" That was it, he was starting to get mad himself. She had no right to judge him over something that happened before she was even born.

"NOW wait a minute! I JUST found out myself. She told me she aborted it. Besides, it was thirty-five fucking years ago, why does it matter now?"

"WHAT?!"

"She didn't want a kid, I didn't want one either, she told me she would take care of it. I left."

"You let her 'take care of it' without checking?" Shit! Now she was going to cry. There was nothing he hated more than a crying frail.

"Yea. It was her problem."

"And Thomas is my problem, right?" _Where the hell did that come from?_ _Is that what's bothering her?_ He thought, watching her face. He knew how to handle this.

"NO! Thomas is my SON. You are my MATE. What happened with Raven was STUPID, I love you, and I love Thomas. Mystique tricked me, pretended ta be a normal, someone I was working with, I didn't know it was her until after the fact, or it wouldn't have happened. Hell for all I know she got pregnant deliberately. It ain't anythin near the same thing."

Mia glared at him, unshed tears in her eyes. He wanted to pull her against his chest - wanted to claw her fucking eyes out for doubting him – wanted to walk out and not look back. All the shouting woke Thomas and she turned on her heel and went to his room. She came out, Thomas in her arms, and didn't even stop, not even to pick up the diaper bag. She headed straight for the door. She was leaving – taking their son and leaving, suddenly he felt helpless.

"BABY!" He shouted, but she didn't even look back. He did something he rarely did… "please. I love you." He said as she walked out the door. He followed her, his chest tightening up. He would stop her, but he couldn't bear the thought of hurting either of them. He was trying to decide how to force her to stay with him, without hurting either of them when she turned.

"I know that! YOU need to tell the Professor - at least." She was heading down the path, Thomas wrapped up in a blanket, and resting on her shoulder. "Grab the diaper bag."

He ran back, grabbed his shirt and the diaper bag, and followed her to the mansion. He was grinning like a loon. She wasn't leaving_. FUCK!!! When the hell had she taken control?_ What happened to his nice docile Mia and what was he going to have to do to get her back? He followed her down the paths and to the back door of the mansion. He wasn't sure he liked this - her exerting herself.

The kids were running through the house, trying to get to classes on time. Even with all the discontent in the world, life continued as normal in the mansion. Professor Xavier was in his office with the new kid.

"…tink it a good idea den Gambit do what he can to make good." The young man was sitting in front of the large desk, lounging in one of the comfortable chairs, shuffling a deck of cards in his hands. Scott, Ororo and Piotr were also in the room.

"You did very well in the Danger Room simulations today, Remy." Ororo was saying as Mia burst into the room.

"We are in a meeting." Scott said, glaring at Victor as he pushed in behind her. Victor just shrugged and pointed at Mia.

"Is there anything wrong?" Ororo said at the same time.

"Mia - Victor please have a seat." Professor Xavier said.

Gambit looked at them, suspicion in his eyes when he saw Victor. "Didn' I jes kill him downstairs?"

"Remy LeBeau, this is Victor Creed, aka Sabertooth. Yes you fought his hologram in the simulation downstairs." The red eyed kid just glared at him, and somehow the movements of his hands with the cards became almost threatening.

"Professor, I need to get to class, if you don't need me for this meeting anymore." Piotr Rasputin taught art at the institute.

"Certainly, Pete we will fill you in." The large Russian moved out of the room and closed the door.

"Do I need to call anyone else for this, Victor?" Charles looked at him.

"No you can fill them in later. I just found out that Graydon Creed, the head of the Friends of Humanity is my biological cub."

"What?" Scott turned and looked at him. "I knew nothing good could come from you."

Victor snarled at the leader of the X men. He looked over at Mia and Thomas and saw the look of anger and near hatred on her face. He hoped to hell that look was directed at Scott.

"Say that again, OneEye…I'll turn my mate loose on ya." He growled.

"Scott – enough, Mia and certainly Thomas didn't deserve that." Charles said with reproach. The bespectacled kid mumbled an apology to Mia.

"Who was his mother?" Ororo asked, interrupting the men.

"Raven Darkholm. Mystique."

"Is he a mutant? I have not been able to pick him up as one with Cerebro." Charles said.

"No, he is human - that's why Raven didn't raise him herself. She wouldn't raise a normal kid. I thought she had aborted the baby, I had no idea he was still alive."

"Well, this might explain some of his hatred for mutants." The Professor said a wry smile on his lips.

"How do you figure that, Professor?" Scott asked.

"If he knows he was abandoned by his mutant mother, he may not know who his father is, and assume that he abandoned him as well."

"I would guess, since he is using my last name, that he knows at least that much. If I know Mystique, she made sure he would know who his father is, just for spite." He was hating her more and more as the day went on.

"But do we need to know _why_ he hates us?" Ororo asked.

"Yes, understanding is the first step to peace. Thank you, Victor for bringing this to my attention. Have you contacted Erik to inform him?"

"I called Raven, does that count?"

"Yes."

"So do dis have anyting to do wid Remy, or can I go?"

"Yes, Remy, we are done. Welcome to the team."

"Well it give Remy someting to do, non."

The young man pushed himself up on to his feet and walked out the door. He grinned at Victor, and winked at Mia. Victor growled at him as he went by. Remy just laughed.

Victor looked over at his mate. She was still fuming with anger. He had a sudden idea and needed a few moments with the professor to discuss it. "Mia, why don't you go see how Kit is doing, I need ta talk to the Professor a moment."

She stood up, grabbing the diaper bag, and glaring at him, stormed out of the office. He was going to have to find a way to make this up to her. He couldn't remember the last time she was this angry with him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mia climbed the stairs, heading for Kit and Logan's room. The door was open, Logan running around in his jeans and a white T shirt. Kit was lying on the bed, glaring at him.

"Will you settle down, if you are going to have to go to Chicago, you will be in your uniform anyway?"

"I lost my lighter."

"You have ten more in the night stand drawer."

"But they aren't my good lighter."

Mia cleared her throat. They both looked over at her, Kit grinned.

"Logan, your lighter is under the edge of the dresser." Mia said as she walked into the room. He got down on all fours and dug under the dresser, coming up with his good Zippo.

"See, Baby, my good lighter. The one you gave me." He grinned at Kit.

"Will you get moving, Marie came to get you an hour ago?"

"Promise you will stay in bed, and no lifting the baby. Those ribs need to heal." Kit rolled her eyes at him as he pulled on his boots, and grabbed a shirt out of the closet; he took off, buttoning the shirt as he ran.

"I think he missed the meeting." Mia said as she sat on the edge of her sister's bed. Kit just laughed. She cuddled the newborn in her arms close to her chest.

"Ok, sis, I know you, what's bugging you."

"Victor has another child." Mia was trying not to cry. The man she loved, the father of her baby, had another child, a child that was twice her age, and hated the infant in her arms just because he was a mutant.

"Oh, wow. How did you find that out?"

"He was on television."

"What?"

"Graydon Creed, the head of the FOH."

"Oh SHIT! That asshole is Victor's son."

"Yes." Thomas started to wiggle against her chest; she laid him down on the bed and checked his diaper.

"What did Victor have to say? Did he know?" Kit asked her as she changed the baby.

"He didn't know about him until today. Evidently Mystique was supposed to have had an abortion and didn't" It bothered her that the blue bitch was the mother of her mate's child. Would he leave her, go back to Raven. She didn't think so, but her doubts were magnifying. After all, Mystique was a mutant, and she was only human.

"Wow." Kit was looking at Thomas, who had gone back to sleep.

"I know he loves me, I know he loves Thomas, but he still hasn't asked me to marry him; he still hasn't said he wants only me. I am afraid he will just up and leave one day, I am just a frail, just a woman – just a human. He is going against everything he has ever been, being with me this long and you should see him with the baby - he is practically cute."

"Mia, if nothing else you know your factor is there…" Kit said.

"That's easy for you to say, Logan asked you to marry him. Victor avoids the issue completely, and I don't want to push. I love him, I would be lost without him, and I don't want to push him away by wanting something more than he can give." She cuddled the sleeping Thomas against her chest again "And now, with not being able to - you know - for at least six weeks, well I am afraid he is going to go and find someone else to take care of him."

"Mia, he loves you. He isn't going anywhere; you two have been together for about a year, I don't think he has been with anyone that long in his entire life. That seems like a big commitment to me. Besides, I may have an engagement ring, but getting a wedding date out of Logan is like pulling hens' teeth."

"Really, you don't think he is going anywhere?" She was so worried, especially now that he had found out about his other son. Would he go back to Raven, who was a mutant, and leave her, the human, with a baby to raise? Her time with the Brotherhood had really affected her self image. She couldn't see why he would want to be with a normal human like her when there were so many mutants he could be with. Mutants he didn't have to be gentle with, who could handle all of his passion and fire.

"No, he isn't going anywhere." Suddenly the door burst open and Marie blew into the room.

"Kit, sugar, is Logan around, Ah need somethin ta punch." Mia was shocked, Marie was usually so calm, she had never seen her angry before. It looked like she was about to kill something or break down in tears.

"He just left. He was late for a meeting with the Professor." Mia could tell Kit was getting tired of staying in bed. She was starting to squirm. "What's going on?"

"Bobby, that JERK!" Marie screamed the last. Both sisters raised their eyebrows in shock. Marie and Bobby had been a couple for almost two years, and in the time Mia had known them she had never heard Marie call him anything but sweet.

"What did Icicle do now?" Kit said disgust in her tone. Evidently Kit knew more than she had told Mia

"After everythin we been through, he calls and tells me he thinks we need some space. Ah could hear a girl in tha background, too. That snake has been cheatin on me!" Mia looked down at the baby, his eyes were open and she knew it was probably time for her to leave. Kit didn't need her here right now.

"Sis, I am going to go, I need to feed Thomas. We'll talk later, ok." She picked up the diaper bag and headed for the door.

"Mia, trust Victor, he loves you." Kit's voice was full of concern.

"Yea unlike Mr. 'reliable' Drake." Marie threw at her as she walked out the door. "At least you KNOW where you stand with Sabretooth."

She didn't know where Victor was, so she went back down stairs and found a quiet corner to feed the baby.

Kit thought he loved her, he needed her, but she just wasn't sure. He was Sabretooth. She thought back over their relationship. She had chased him, let him catch her, she had been the one to plan things – but now…she didn't know what to do, she couldn't plan because she had no idea what the future would hold. He had always allowed her - allowed her manage finances, allowed her make the plan to help Kit. Now she didn't know if she could wait to ask for permission, she had Thomas to think about, and knew if Victor left, she would be alone. Her tears fell softly as she tried to figure out what she could do…how she could survive if he left her. She dozed off; cradling her son and that was how Victor found them.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Remy stood outside the door. He could hear the chere ranting and raving inside. He grinned. So the ice boy was being a man, keeping two women going at the same time. He grinned, and whispered

"Tank you, Mr. Drake. You made Remy's life so much easier. Angry chere is a passionate chere, an' Remy know how to handle de passion." He started to walk away from the door, when he heard something even more interesting…


	9. Nine of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

Nine of Hearts

Kit was lying on the bed, listening to Marie scream about Bobby being a rat fink.

"He had the gall ta call me and say we needed space. Why didn't he just tell meh he had a new girlfriend? Ah coulda taken that a lot better, hell, Ah been kinda hopin he would find someone, since mah powers came back. It ain't like Ah don't love him, don't want him ta be happy, but did he have ta fuckin lie ta me?" She was pacing back and forth across the room. Kit just sat there and nodded, or shook her head whenever Marie looked at her. Hurricane Marie was blowing full force, and Kit just sat there, waiting for her to blow herself out.

Finally she threw herself across the end of the bed. "God, why do men have to be such assholes?"

Kit chuckled. "I think it is a part of the hard wired programming. If we can ever figure out how to reprogram them we won't ever have to worry about it again."

"Oh yea, right, you and Mr. Dreamboat havin trouble again."

"Mr. Dreamboat, don't you mean Mr. Jerk."

"Damn, he's back ta Jerk." Marie laughed. Logan's rating system was a running joke at the school. "At least he ain't down ta asshole again."

"I don't know, it was close, when I found him letting Jean feel him up in the hall the other day."

"Oh shit, she won't ever learn, will she?"

"I think she is getting the hint. At least she knows I will fight back now."

"What happened?"

"I tried to Mirror her while she was using her powers on Logan and pulled something more than just kinesthetic memory. She said it hurt, bad. I know it hurt me, I felt like I had been run over by a steamroller, but at least she learned I would risk it, and seems to have backed off of Logan for a while."

"Remind me not ta make ya pissed at me, sugar." Marie laughed.

"Yea, well Logan made me promise not to try it again; at least until Hank is back and he and the Professor can monitor any experiments."

"Good for him, have ya talked ta him about what's been going on?" Kit cringed. She had confided in Marie three weeks ago.

"No. I just don't think I need to worry him, I mean it could be nothing."

"Nothin, hell." She threw a box at her. "You need ta find out, sugar, one way or tha other." Kit looked at the box in her lap. Marie was right, but not right now. There was too much going on.

She slipped the box into her nightstand drawer, she would use it later.

Marie just gave her that look, the one that said she was being an idiot.

"I just am not ready to know yet. I don't know how I feel one way or the other, and I KNOW how Logan is going to feel. He is going to be furious." She remembered when she had threatened to babysit for Vic and Mia.

"_WHAT. You ain't bringin a baby in here." _

_"Oh, really?"_

_"Yea, really."_

He was definitely against the idea of a baby. How was he going to react to this?

Marie just glared at her, and walked to the nightstand. "Do it."

She grumbled, but stood up, and let Marie help her into the bathroom. Shit, she didn't want to know. If it was positive, God, Logan was going to run for the hills fast, if it was negative, well at least she would know. There were two tests in the box, and she used both. She came out of the bathroom and handed the sticks to Marie.

"You are so hellfire bent on knowing, you can time the damned things." She said as she gingerly made her way back to the bed. Marie set the sticks on the dresser and leaned back against it.

"You are really a dumb ass, ya know." She said finally, looking at Kit huddled on the bed. "If it's positive, he's going ta be thrilled."

"You weren't here when he told me I wasn't bringing a baby in here either." She said.

"You are lettin somethin he said months ago get to ya. I was right you are bein a dumb ass." Kit just curled up under the blankets and lay on her good side. Marie just glared at her until she turned around and looked at the sticks on the dresser.

"Well, sugar, you better be ready, cuz you are going ta have ta tell him." Oh shit. Kit just moaned and covered her head with a pillow. Marie took the hint and the tests and left the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

Shit! FUCK! SHIT! She tried to think, how had this happened? She was careful, always took her pills, SHIT. The door burst open, and Logan came in. She sat up and watched him grab his uniform from the closet.

"Sorry, Baby, but there has been another attack, this time in Salem, at the school there, Scott has the plane ready and we should be back later." He gave her a quick kiss and headed back out the door. She thought Hurricane Marie was bad, Tornado Logan was worse. She just sat there a moment, and then decided she was sick of staying in this room. She got up, wincing as she pulled on a clean pair of sweats and a T Shirt over her bound ribs. She held the railing as she climbed down the stairs and went into the rec room. Most of the kids were in there, watching the television.

Charles was in there as well. She sat in a chair next to him, and he took her hand. The Salem School for Delinquent Youth was on fire, and the large robots were everywhere. She watched kids trying to fight them off, and turned her head, as one of the robots picked up a child no more than twelve and crushed her in its hand. In front of the gate, where onlookers were being held back by police, Graydon Creed was giving his hate filled speech to the press.

**It will be alright, Kit. The Blackbird is almost there.** Charles squeezed her hand comfortingly.

Kit saw the Blackbird drop down behind the school and watched as the full team of the X Men, Scott and Jean, Logan, Victor, who was even wearing a uniform, Marie, Kitty, Peter, and the new kid Remy, Ororo, Bobby, when had he gotten here, Jubilee, who had earned her uniform last month, and even Kurt headed in to fight the robots.

Kit felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see both her parents and Mia standing behind her. Her sister sat down next to her on the arm of the chair, baby in her arms. They both watched as their mates battled ferociously in front of the television cameras. Kit thought her stomach had dropped into her feet when Peter picked up Logan and threw him at one of the robots. So that is what the alley-oop looked like. She was so going to chew him out for that one.

Suddenly the cameras switched to the hate filled face of Graydon Creed.

"You see, these mutants are dangerous, we are armed with the best weapons known to human kind, and they are destroying our defenses. These people need to be eliminated or humanity will not survive. This is just the beginning of the cleansing; this place that harbors and teaches children to use these demonic powers they are born with is just the beginning. We will eliminate every mutant facility, every place that supports and harbors these monsters…" His voice was cut off by a clawed hand around his throat. He was lifted off his feet, and turned to face a very angry Victor Creed.

"Maybe I need ta teach you some manners, boy. I seem to have neglected to do that when you were a cub." He growled. Kit watched as he threw him over the fence, where he was caught by Jean's telekinesis and gently carried, his struggles easily contained, to the Blackbird. With the removal - capture, - whatever you wanted to call it, of their leader the Friends of Humanity pulled back, the robots obeying whatever commands to retreat they were given. Suddenly the news feed cut off, and the anchors and analysts began trying to make sense of what had just happened.

Kit put a hand over her sister's. She knew Mia had to be upset. She looked at her sister as quiet tears flowed down her face, before she stood up and walked away. Her mother followed her, and Kit felt the comforting hand of her father on her shoulder.

"Well, that boy of yours sure can fight, honey." He said, trying to lighten the mood. Kit could hardly contain her fear. She had seen him fight first hand; it was different watching it from a distance. She knew he was dangerous, even deadly, but watching him cut those robots to pieces, slicing up the men trying to hurt those kids, all with such a ferocious look of concentration and anger on his face made her realize that he really had been trying to protect her – protect her from him.

She sat there, watching the analysts and the anchor people talk about what had happened, it was on all the channels, so changing it just changed the faces, not what was being said. The general gist of it was that while what the Friends of Humanity had done was horrendous, attacking a school, that there was justification, that mutants were dangerous and should at least be registered if not contained and segregated from society at large. Kit was growing angrier and angrier as she watched. All the work they had done for the last year, all the progress toward making sure humans and mutants shared the same basic rights was being undone.

One of the analysts brought up the Mutant Registration Act again, and a debate followed as to if it would be strong enough to keep mutants from using their powers. Kit saw Hank on one of the channels and listened.

"We cannot allow this terrorist organization to change the fact that mutants and humans are the same, we have the same rights." Hank was saying.

"But, Dr. McCoy, even you have to agree, that there are dangerous mutants out there. What about the group that attacked Worthington Industries over the cure? Surely we should have some recourse in defending ourselves against dangerous mutants."

"And the current laws more than allow for recourse. Arrest, trial, incarceration, are all viable means of dealing with mutants who act in criminal ways, but again ninety percent of all mutants are law abiding citizens, who do not use what ever powers they have in any way but to help and better their communities. What you are advocating is punishing the majority for the crimes of the minority. If anyone tried to do that to normal humans it would create a huge outcry against infringement of basic rights, and mutants are still citizens, still have the same basic rights as humans, something many people are trying to forget."

"Go Hank." Kit whispered under her breath. A salt and pepper frosted head turned and looked at her from across the room. Her amber eyes had tears in them, and Kit gave her a smile. So that was the young girl that had put such a spin on Hank's calm demeanor.

The debate went on, but Kit heard the roar of the jet and stood up and headed to the elevator. Charles was right behind her and she held the door for him as he wheeled himself into the small chamber. He keyed the code for the third subbasement, and they started to descend.

"Kit, you will have to tell Logan, and soon." He said softly.

"Why?"

"For one thing, his sense of smell will pick up the changes in your body chemistry, if he hasn't already. It will be a matter of time before he figures out what is causing it. It would be better if you told him directly, instead of having him find out on his own." He patted her hand on the arm of his wheelchair.

"I can't keep a secret around here to save my life." She moaned.

"Well, I am a telepath you know, and it is very much on the surface of your mind." He chuckled

"Ok, fine, I plan on telling him, ok. Everyone leave me alone."

Mia and her mom were already waiting outside the hanger for the plane to settle in for its landing. They all heard the safety lock click, letting them know the plane was down and engines off, and that it was safe to enter the hanger. The door slid open just as the rear ramp was coming down. First down was Storm; she just looked at them and threw her hands up in disgust, just passing by them, muttering under her breath about teenagers.

Behind her were Bobby and Marie, fighting. Kit heard Marie call him a rat fink bastard and had a good idea what that was all about. Kitty and Peter came down next, she was glaring at Bobby, and Peter was trying to hurry her along. Kurt popped next to the Professor, with a big grin and slipped the written report of what had happened into his hand, before popping out again. Kit had a good idea where he was going. Remy and Jubilee were next off the plane, He was teasing her and she elbowed him in the ribs. They headed for the locker rooms. Jean and Scott and Logan and Victor were last, between them was the prone form of Graydon Creed. Mia handed her mother the baby and ran to Victor. He gathered her up in his arms and kissed her. Jean and Scott, using Jean's power moved Graydon out of the hanger and down the hallway to the detention area.

Logan looked over where she was standing and walked over, slowly. She didn't know if he was angry, but she knew something was wrong.

"Baby, are you alright?" He was tense.

"If you EVER let Peter throw you like that again I will kill you myself." She shouted at him. He laughed and grabbed her, pulling her against his chest.

"I didn't know how much you saw on the television. I didn't want you to be afraid of me again."

"Pshhh. I have been beside you in a fight, dumb ass. Why would watching it on TV scare me? You know you really are a Jerk sometimes." She watched Mia and Victor talking, and looked over at her mom. The baby was fussing, and Nancy was trying to find a bottle in the diaper bag.

"Hand him here, Mom." Kit said, taking her nephew so her mother could use both hands. Logan looked at her funny. She just glared at him. He was just going to have to get used to it.

"Nancy, we are going to need your assistance with Mr. Creed, with Hank gone." Charles was saying.

"I want to be there. He's my son." Victor said across the room. Kit could see the stubborn set of her sister's jaw and made a decision.

"Mom, give me the diaper bag. Logan and I can baby sit while you guys deal with this."

"We WHAT?" Logan looked at her again.

"You heard me, get used to the idea; at least I can do **that** to help out around here." Logan growled but took the diaper bag from her mother.

"Just don't ask me to hold the kid, ok." He said under his breath as they left the hanger. The ride in the elevator quieted Thomas, and she carried him, on her good side up the stairs and to their room.

"Logan, there should be baby blankets in the bag, can you roll them up and put them on either side of him." She said as she laid the baby on the bed. Her mother hadn't been able to find a bottle in the bag, and he was hungry. She dug down into the bottom and found an insulated container. Inside were two small bottles filled with breast milk; Kit grabbed one and started to pick up the baby, but had to hold her breath in pain. Damn those ribs. Logan put the blankets on either side of the baby lying on the bed and then looked at her.

"Logan you are going to have to pick him up and hand him to me, I can't do it with these ribs." She said as she leaned back on the propped up pillows. She watched as he tried to figure out how to pick the baby up. "You put one hand under his head to support it, the other under his back or bottom and lift, Jerk." She said laughing at his discomfort

"Very funny, this is why I didn't want to baby sit." He growled at her, as he gingerly lifted the baby off the bed and laid him in her arms.

"What are you going to do when we have kids, dumb ass?" She asked as she looked down at Thomas. She held the bottle against his bottom lip and he latched on quickly. All those years of baby sitting for cash paid off.

"That's different." He said, sitting on the bed, watching her. His face softened and he reached out and brushed a strand of hair back from her forehead.

"How is it different? I sure as hell am not doing all the work by myself." She glared at him.

"It just is, besides, we ain't having kids till things are more secure." He glared at her, but she could tell he was trying not to smile.

"Secure, Logan we are mutants, life may not get secure for decades. I am not certain I want to wait that long." Shit! This wasn't going to be easy.

"I just want ta be sure I can protect you and any kids that come along, ok. Is that too fucking much ta ask?" He was really getting uncomfortable.

"Logan, babies don't come when called, they happen, usually when you are least expecting it." God why was this so hard. Why didn't she just tell him and get it over with?

"I know that, I mean look at Vic and Mia and the mess they are in because of it. They don't have a secure place right now, bouncing from here ta the farm, and now that ain't safe. He can't be sure from one day ta the next if he is going ta be able ta take care of them, hell he is a wreck. He is putting on a brave front for Mia, but shit, I can smell his fear." Kit looked at him in shock. She had no idea Victor was feeling that way.

"Maybe we should help them out more, give them some time to work through these things." She said. This could wait. He didn't need to know yet, and if Victor was having such a hard time, the last thing she needed was Logan getting nervous because of it.

"I think they will be fine, Darlin." He looked at the baby in her arms, and for a second his face softened again. "Maybe, someday, it will be ours there. But let me make sure I can take care of ya first." He looked at her, plea in his eyes. No she couldn't do it to him, he had to know.

"Logan, you do take care of me."

"Yea, I take such good care of you, last year ya got shot, this year your ex boyfriend beat the shit out of ya, broke your ribs. I am doin such a bang up job protectin ya." He growled, angry again. His moods were so mercurial she wasn't sure how he was going to take this.

"Logan, things are going to happen. We couldn't have known Danny was going to pull something like that, and well I got shot, it happens. I know why you don't want me on the team; you think you are protecting me, by keeping me here, out of harm's way. I also know I could do well on the team, my abilities would be useful. I know Charles hasn't offered because you don't want him to."

"Baby, that ain't it. I just couldn't stand it if you took off, left me here ta worry about ya. You ain't got my healing factor, a lucky shot and you could be dead, and I might not be there; at least if you are here and safe I can do my job without worrying."

"I know that, but you can't keep holding me back forever. Someday something is going to happen and change this nice little equation you have here."

"I know, damn it, that's why I want ta set the wedding date. I learned that lesson already, ok. I love ya, I want ta marry ya, because if somethin does happen, I want ta at least have that, have that time ta remember. Vic said keepin ya safe ain't enough and he's right. I need ta be tryin ta make ya happy." Thomas gave a little burp and closed his eyes contentedly. She smiled down at him.

"Hand me the burp rag." She told Logan. She had him help her drape it across her shoulder and help her hold the baby up, while she rubbed and patted his back, to make sure all the gas was out. He gave another little burp, and a loud grunt, and then was a dead sleeping weight on her shoulder. There was nothing like the sleep of a newborn. Logan took him, gingerly again, and lay him back down in the nest they had made for him in the middle of the bed.

He climbed up on his side of the bed and put an arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head on his shoulder and watched the sleeping baby. He reached over and put his hand over hers.

"So when do we want to do this?"

"Do what?" She laughed.

"Have one of our own." He grinned at her. It was now or never.

"How about in seven months or so." She waited for him to react.

"I thought it took nine - **seven**." He put his finger under her chin, lifting her face to look at him. "Did you say seven?"

"Um, yea, I just found out."

"Just found out, when?" She could tell he was shocked by the news.

"This morning." She was watching his face, waiting for him to get angry.

"How did you find out this morning?" He was shaking his head in confusion.

"Marie picked up a couple tests, and helped me with them."

"Marie knows." He started to shout and then glanced at the baby, and lowered his voice.

"Yea."

"You told MARIE first." Ok he was getting angry now.

"Not exactly, when I was late we discussed it, I just thought I was late you know, she insisted I take a test. I kept saying no, so she made me do it this morning."

"You were late and you didn't tell me."

"Well you haven't been exactly the easiest person to talk to the last couple months." Now she was getting angry.

He took a deep breath. "Ok, you are right. I have been an ass. SHIT!"

Here it came. She waited for the explosion.

He looked at her; he leaned in and kissed her, tenderly, and pulled her against him. "We are going to have a baby, Baby."

She couldn't tell if he was happy or angry or somewhere in between. At least he wasn't running from the room – or shouting the roof down around their ears - which was better than she had expected. He eased her head down on his shoulder and leaned his head on hers. She felt his lips against the top of her hair, and smiled. He wasn't running, he wasn't yelling, and his claws weren't out, so she had to think he wasn't completely freaked.

"I can't say I am ready for this." His voice was tense. "It's going ta take some gettin used ta, Darlin." He whispered against her hair, finally. "This does mean you are going ta work with me on setting a date right?"

She laughed, since the farm he hadn't let it drop. "I guess - since if we don't Dad will have his shotgun out again." She felt his laugh deep in his chest.

"We have time, Baby, but I really would like ta get all the legal crap over with and just have you for my wife." She grinned again. Mia was going to be so pissed.

"Do me a favor, please. Do something about Victor, if you can. Mia is so depressed, she is afraid he is going to leave her now that Thomas is here."

"She's insane. He is crazy about her and the baby. He is down right _cute_, and that ain't a word ta use about Sabertooth. Fuck, I can't believe he's the same mon…man that used ta try ta kill me on a regular basis."

"I know, but she thinks he doesn't want to marry her - and she doesn't want to push because she is afraid to push him away. She doesn't want to try to raise Thomas alone, but thinks if she brings it up, he will run for the hills."

"Shit - I can't believe you two are sisters. Your sister needs ta grow a set of balls and hit him with a two by four. He and I talked about this - He ain't asked her because she ain't said nothin. He thinks she ain't interested in bein married ta a monster like him."

Kit leaned against Logan's chest, watching her nephew sleep. Here she thought Vic and Mia had it all worked out, and there was as much miscommunication there as there was in her own relationship with Logan.

Suddenly Victor was at the door, anger radiating from him, Mia right behind.

"Graydon escaped. The cops came to arrest him, and he slipped away from them."

"Are you going after him?' Logan asked, sitting up on the bed, and helping Kit lean back on the pillows.

"No, I got Mia and the baby to take care of. He ain't my responsibility." Victor reached down and expertly lifted his tiny son into his arms. Kit smiled at her sister, nodding her head at Victor, trying to get her to see what she could see as she watched how tender Victor was with them. Mia smiled back, nodding, and picked up the baby's things and put them in the bag, but it was strained. They were going to have to have a talk and soon. They left quietly, Victor carrying the sleeping baby against his chest. Logan watched them leave then turned.

"So, how about next week?" Logan looked over at her.

"I am going to need a little more than a week to plan a wedding - silly." She laughed.

"Ok how about two." She rolled her eyes at him. He wasn't going to let this go, not now.

"How about we start looking at where we want to have it, and we can go from there."

"How about here, and we can have it any time." He grinned, she could tell he had been thinking about this.

"I'll think about it." She said.

"Now who's stalling?" He asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine, Two weeks, here, just clear it with the Professor." He grinned. She knew that wasn't going to be a hard task. She leaned back on the pillows as he stood up and headed out the door. "I didn't mean right NOW!"

He grinned at her, and shut the door, locking it with a loud click. He stalked up to the bed, climbing up from the bottom and covering her body with his.

"Ok, so now that we don't have to worry about you getting pregnant, does that mean we get to practice?" He gave her a leer that set her blood racing. She was definitely glad to have her Logan back. His lips claimed hers and she didn't bother thinking for the rest of the afternoon.


	10. Ten of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

Ten of Hearts

Things had been quiet for the last few days. Everyone had held their breath after Graydon Creed had escaped, but nothing happened. Everything had been normal at the school. Remy was causing all kinds of problems chasing Rogue. Mike laughed to herself as she glanced at his sleeping face, at least Rogue was actually starting to pay attention. She looked at him lying on the gurney in the med lab. That boy would never learn.

"How Remy doin?" She asked the red headed doctor as she came out of the room.

"Far better than he should, considering he tried to kiss Rogue." Jean laughed. "He should be back on his feet by this afternoon. Why don't you go in and sit with him for a while."

"Tank you…sorry Thank you." She really was trying to learn what the Professor and Ro wanted her to learn. Jean smiled at her and walked down the hall.

"Ok, you faker, open dem eyes." She said as she walked into the room. She gave him thirty seconds and then poked him, hard in the ribs.

"Damn, Chere, what you do dat fo'. Remy taken a break."

"I thought so." She said

"You THOUGHT so." He enunciated the word. "Damn, chere, des people gettin to you."

"Kiss my rosy red swamp rat ass, Remy LeBeau." She hissed at him. "Why you go and do sometin – something – so stupid."

"Mike, dat should be 'Why did you go and do something so stupid'" he said, clearly enunciating each word. Now he was going to make fun of her too. Hell, she didn't know he COULD enunciate so clearly.

"I don need dis shit from you, too." She said, heading for the door in a huff.

"Chere, come on, I jes tryin ta help. You got a ting fo' de big blue guy, and, well hell, I tink he should be skinned and salted, but if he what you wan, den Remy goin' ta help."

"Really?" She ran up and gave him a big hug.

"Really, chere." He hugged her back.

"Well, don do nothing else stupid like kissin da Rogue."

"Trus me, it was wort it." He grinned, she just laughed.

"Dat had to be one hellfire kiss."

"Dat fille don know it, but it gonna be much more dan a kiss a'for long." He was still grinning.

"Remy, it one ting ta …" She stopped he was glaring at her. "Remy, it's one thing to flirt and play around, but I tink – think you are getting a little to involved." Shit she was going to have to watch her 'diction' as Ro called it, around Remy too.

"I long past involved, Chere. Dat fille – I can't sleep wid out dreamin 'bout her, I can't eat wid out tinkin o' her, I can't stand bein on a mission wid her, all I do is watch her, make sure she not in any danger. DAMN, Mike, I tink I fallin in de amour." Shit! It was bad. He wasn't talking about himself he was using 'I'.

"Then you need to tell her, need to try to fix things. Belle wants out of dis – this marriage as much as you do; you just have to find a way." She was really feeling bad for Remy. His past – his family – was going to rear up and kill whatever was blossoming inside him, if he wasn't honest from the start.

"I know dat. She don't feel de same way, I am sure. I jes wan ta be wid her, ta watch her. I couldn't resist de kiss, an' I tink she started to respond, but den I passed out." He was a little embarrassed. When he blushed it was cute.

"Remy LeBeau, you need to pull your head out of your pants." Mike glared at him, proud of herself for that statement, not a stutter, not a single hint of her accent.

He laughed. She reached over and gave him a hug. "I have lessons with the Professor, and then more with Ro this evening. You need to get your ass up off that bed, and back into gear. You are an X-Man now, start acting like it."

"Damn, Chere, you almos sound like Mrs. Summers or Ms. Monroe." He grinned at her. Less than a week and she could almost pull it off, if she thought about it – if she wasn't nervous or upset or angry or too relaxed. Oh hell, she could only do it when she concentrated but that was a start.

"Later, Frère," She smiled as she walked out of the room. The metal hallway was quiet, but she picked up a faint scent from the office across from the exam room. She looked in, but there was no one in the office. She sniffed the air again and realized it was the lab coat hanging on the rack she smelled. She walked over and quietly lifted it off the rack, and slipped it on over her T shirt and jeans. She sat down in the chair behind the desk, and closed her eyes. It smelled like Hank, felt like Hank, it was almost like being wrapped in his arms. Her body was trembling, a dull ache building in both her heart and much lower.

She had to stop this. She stood up and took the coat off; she reached to hang it back on the coat rack but just couldn't do it. Her hands were trembling, and she almost dropped the precious object on the floor. She pulled it close to her face and rubbed her cheek against it, allowing herself to absorb the scent from the coat. She didn't realize she wasn't alone; she was so wrapped up in the sensations that scent had coursing through her body.

"Michelle, take it with you." She jumped at Jean's voice behind her. She blushed furiously, and reached to hang the coat back up. Jean reached out with a hand and stopped her. "I know when Scott is gone; I sleep in one of his old T shirts. It makes me feel like he is still there, with me. This has to be so much harder on you, as a feral, I don't think Hank will mind if you borrow his old lab coat." Jean gave her a beautiful smile, and Mike smiled back. She liked the doctor, and didn't understand why some people were uncomfortable around her.

"Tank…Thank you, Jean." She said, laying the coat over her arm. She slipped out the door and down the hall to the elevator. She knew she had a lesson with the professor, but slipped up the stairs after the doors opened and into her room. She slipped the lab coat under the edge of her pillow case. At least she would be able to smell him while she slept, that might help the dreams.

She came back down the stairs, as Jean came out of the elevator. Scott was standing by the front door. No one saw her there, and she watched quietly, as Scott and Jean kissed.

"Having a good day?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I think I will be having good days for a while. We made a breakthrough, and Charles thinks we may have things settled down. I can feel a difference; it isn't as if there are two people inside of me, just one. You still are going to have to deal with my temper."

"I never expected any different, especially with that red hair of yours." He ran his fingers through her long titian hair. She blushed and laid her head on his shoulder. "As long as the whole Logan thing is settled, I'll be a happy man."

Jean laughed, "It's settled. I don't think I ever want Kit mad at me again. Besides, what I felt for Logan doesn't hold a candle to what I feel for you, Baby."

He just held her for a moment, and Mike watched the tenderness between them enviously. She wanted that, she wanted to feel Hank's arms around her, to lay her head on his shoulder; she felt a tear slip down her cheek. This wasn't fair. She moved on the stairs and the couple below her looked up.

"Sorry." She mumbled as she came down the stairs. Jean came to the bottom of the stairs and gave her a hug.

"It's hard, I know. Give him time, he will be back." Jean said softly.

"It's ok." Scott said, with a smile, "We all understand things are rough for you right now." She passed them and entered the Professor's office. Everyone was so supportive of her, she just didn't understand it.

"Michelle, I understand your lessons with Ro are going very well."

"Yes. I am trying to concentrate on what I am sayin – saying and not let de – the accent through."

"Don't concentrate so hard, you don't want to loose who you are, and your Cajun roots are a big part of that. Your accent is a part of your charm." She was so confused. They wanted her to speak correctly and yet be herself. "You need to just relax. The accent will fade over time, it will become less pronounced, but you will always have it. It is a part of who you are."

The television on the bookcase behind him flared to life. "Today we will be watching several sessions of the United Nations. You need to understand the political situation that Hank works in, who the players are, and how to associate with them. I have arranged for a special feed into the main UN chambers, and several of the rooms used by the subcommittees. As long as they are not discussing anything that is classified, or that is not a matter of public record we will be able to observe. We will be spending several hours per day watching what Hank's political life is like, so you can begin to understand the nuances of it."

She sat there for an hour watching all these people argue and debate about nothing it seemed to her, something to do with the price of rice in China. The only thing she really noticed was Hank sitting in his seat, she only really listened when he spoke up, and the rest of the time zoned out. She didn't know how long this was going to go on. She knew the Professor knew she was bored out of her skull. He would throw her sympathetic smiles every now and then, but insisted she continue to watch.

Finally they all stood up to leave, and she watched as Hank stood up, straightened his jacket and tie, and seemed to look right into the camera. She thought her heart would stop. Suddenly all of this was important, it was important because it was important to him. She watched him walk out of the chamber, followed by his staff. The screen cut to one of the subcommittee rooms and she leaned her head on her hand, prepared for another hour of boredom. This time it was the mutant's rights issue. She sat up, and actually listened to what was being said. Hank was far more active in this meeting.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he was saying "these attacks by the Friends of Humanity are jeopardizing all we are working to accomplish. These attacks are not just occurring in the United States, there have been reports from Australia, England, France, Russia, Japan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil. This is becoming a world wide crisis. We need to come to a resolution quickly and bring it before the General Assembly…"

Mike was distracted by movement outside the window of the room on the television. It looked like one of the robots from the attack on the school in Salem. Professor Xavier also noticed, and she could tell he was sending out a mental call to the team. Hank was in danger. She felt a sudden panic…they had to get there in time. They had to. Suddenly the window in the room burst inward, and the camera was damaged, and she was unable to see any more.

"Professor?" she could hear the panic in her voice.

"Go to the rec room; see if we can get a news feed. We need to know what is going on. Michelle, Hank will be fine, he is a feral, with a healing factor, and he is not easy to kill. He also has experience as a part of the X-Men he will be fine." She knew he was trying to calm her panic but it wasn't working.

She ran to the rec room and grabbed the remote. Arty was flipping channels and she slapped him on the back of the head when he passed CNN.

"What?"

"Dere's a problem at the UN, tha Professor tol me ta find a news feed, so dat we can know what's going' on." She heard the roar of the jet and knew help was on the way. Arty just glared at her and got up, leaving her the spot on the couch. She heard people coming in behind her but she just started flipping between the news channels, until finally they started getting video.

The young woman who had smiled at her during the coverage of the Salem attack sat down on the couch next to her.

"You're Mike, right?" She asked.

"Yea."

"Kit." She said with a smile. This was Logan's girl.

"We are so glad Hank finally found his Y Factor." Kit said, wrapping her arm around Mike, as if she were family.

Another woman sat down on the other side of Mike, she was holding a small baby. That had to be Victor's girl, Mia. Both women took one of her hands, and Kit pulled back the arm around her shoulders and took the remote. Suddenly she felt very grateful for the support – felt like she had a family. The Blackbird appeared in the feed, and she watched as the team ran down the ramp, and into the battle being waged on the front plaza of the UN. Suddenly the feed cut to an attack in London, and then one in Russia. This was a concerted attack, world wide. Mike squeezed the hands of the two women. She could smell the fear in the room, everyone was covered in it.

Each attack was being countered by a group of mutants, and somehow, they all looked like they were coordinated, Mike wondered how they were able to communicate so quickly. She looked around the room and realized that Jean and the Professor were both missing. The feed went back to the UN just as a flash of blue crossed the camera. Hank was in full feral fight mode, his suit shredded, attacking the members of the Friends of Humanity; he seemed to be protecting a group of school children, who had probably been on a field trip. Mike watched as one of the robots stepped into view and picked him up in one of those gargantuan hands and began to squeeze. Even over the sounds of the battle, she could hear him call her name, just before he passed out. Kit let go of her hand, and put her arm around her. She wanted to throw up, she wanted to scream, she wanted to be there, if nothing else.

She didn't even realize she was making small hissing mewling noises. Kit just rocked her, and then she felt Kit freeze.

"I'll fucking kill him myself." She muttered. Mike looked up in time to see Peter throw Logan at the robot holding Hank. Logan's claws cut through the arm, and it crashed to the ground, Hank's body still grasped in its hand. Victor was on the ground, and pried the fingers of the hand open and threw Hank over his shoulder. The kids he had been protecting had gotten out of the path of danger, and Victor growled at them and made them run further away. Mike couldn't tear her eyes off of the screen. She watched Victor carry Hank to the Blackbird, and right before he ran up the ramp, she saw Hank's arm move. He was alive, thank all the Saints.

**Michelle, you will need to be in med lab when Hank arrives. He is badly injured. His healing factor will take care of most of it, but he will recover better if you are there, and he can sense you. Jean is doing what she can to stabilize him on the plane while the rest of the team finishes dealing with this situation.**

She sent him her agreement. Somehow she could tell he was distracted, and very weary. She started to stand up, but Kit and Mia both tried to keep her on the couch.

"I need to be in med lab when they get here, the Professor said." She told them.

"I'll go with you." Kit said, standing and walking with her to the elevator.

"Logan will be fine, chere." Mike said as they entered the elevator.

"Oh, I know that. I just HATE that move. One of these days, he is going to get hurt, healing factor and adamantium or not, and frankly he is a big enough pain in the ass when he is in good shape, I will HATE having to nurse him back to health." Mike laughed at Kit. Was this how she and Hank would be, someday?

The two women sat in Hank's office, Mike would get up every now and then and pace, until Kit reminded her to sit down. Mike hated waiting, hated it worse now. She heard her stomach grumble, but there was no time for her to find something to eat. Kit gave her a sympathetic smile, but she just paced the floor again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The pain was excruciating. All of his ribs were broken, his hip, he had major internal injuries, punctured lungs, broken collar bone, his arms were fractured in four places each, and Victor throwing him around like a rag doll hadn't helped any of the injuries. He just lay there and let Jean hook him to an IV. All he could think about was making sure Michelle was safe. He needed to be with her, to protect her. Why the hell was he here, why had he ever left the mansion?

He didn't even notice when the plane took off. He could hear the team as they came back aboard the plane, he heard someone else being strapped to one of the stretchers for the flight but he passed out again before he found out whom. The flight was a blur; he woke up several times in pain, but passed out again before he could absorb any real information.

He felt the jolt on the landing, and knew it was Scott at the controls of the plane. He heard the grunts of male voices as they lifted the other stretcher and carried it off the plane. He could feel Jean standing next to him, holding the IV bag up as his stretcher was lifted up and carried off of the plane. He opened his eyes briefly, but the overhead lights were a blur as they carried him down the corridors so he closed them again.

He could feel his healing beginning to work. His lungs had healed as his ribs worked their way back into place and began to knit. Jean was going to have to set his collar bone before it healed any more or they would have to re-break it and set it properly. He felt the jolt as the stretcher was placed on a gurney and Jean's cool hands as she began to inspect his injuries in the light of the med lab.

He started to black out as she set the collar bone, but forced himself to stay awake. He could hear a voice saying one word over and over, "Mike."

"Just a moment, Hank, let me get you settled and then we will let her in." Jean said, smiling at him. Her eyes were that cross between black and green, but she was calm. He hoped she was finally settling in, getting both sides of herself under control.

His mind kept wondering. Did those children reach safety, did his secretary make it out of the building alive, why had they attacked, and where was Michelle? That was the one question that crept across his mind.

Suddenly he heard her.

"Let me in der." She was shouting at the door.

"Mike, you have to wait, Jean will let you in, as soon as she can. Hank isn't the only one injured." He could hear Kit with her. At least she had someone who understood with her, who knew just how hard this had to be on her. God he hoped the other injured person wasn't Logan.

He heard a female moan from the other bed in the exam room. One of the girls was injured. It sounded like Jubilation.

"Jean, I'm fine, will ya let Mike in already." Her voice sounded weak, but firm. Hank couldn't open his eyes yet, the pain was still too great. He heard the door open, and even before Jean could say anything he felt her, smelled her. She was here, with him. He felt her take his hand, gently, although he would not have complained if she had grasped it.

He could smell her tears, even though she wasn't sobbing. She was weeping for him. He wanted to stop her, wanted to hold her, but his body wasn't healed enough for that – yet. Why was she here? Surely they wouldn't have told her, wouldn't have let her suffer like this? He could smell her frustration, her need. He remembered why he had left, because that scent permeated everything, he couldn't escape it, couldn't escape what it did to him. Even now, even in as much pain as his body was in, it was valiantly trying to respond to his mate.

"I t'ought you were dead, ma amour. When I saw dat ting crush you I t'ought my life was over." She was whispering, he knew she thought he couldn't hear. "I know you can't hear me, I know dey won let me stay when you wake up, but I can' go on like dis." He could hear the tears in her voice.

"Chica, just sit with him, it will be the best medicine." He heard Jubilee trying to help her friend. He could hear the pain in her voice, but she still was trying to help his Michelle. He struggled to open his eyes, to squeeze her fingers, anything to let her know he was here, and awake and listening to what she had to say.

"Ok, Jubilee, that's enough. We are moving you to another room. Logan is pacing like a caged animal outside wanting to make sure you are alright, and I am not letting a galloping hoard in here with Hank." Jean was firm as he heard her release the breaks on the other bed and begin to push Jubilee out of the room.

"He's going to be ok, chica, you have to believe that." He heard her tell Michelle as the door closed.

The room was suddenly quiet. All he could hear was Michelle's breathing next to the bed. He could feel the ribs almost healed, the fractures in his arms would take a while longer, and the hip. His internal injuries were taking the longest to heal, essential systems first, lungs, circulatory, and then the rest at a slower pace. His healing factor wasn't on a level with Logan or Victor but it was still impressive. He could hear her quiet sobs as she tried to speak, finally she started talking.

"I don' know if I can do what dey want. I don' know if I can be what _you_ want. Dey have me watchin de UN, workin on my talkin better, all cuz dey say dat what you need. Etre amoureux de vous, but I not'in but a swamp rat, an' you, well you so much more dan dat." He could hear the tiny splash as her tears hit the floor. He wanted so badly to stop the tears, but his body wouldn't let him move yet. Finally he did the only thing he could, he reached out to Charles, hoping he would help ease her fears, but he wasn't there, or rather he was too busy to respond. He just had to lie there, and listen to her pour her heart out.

"De talkin lessons ain't so bad, non? Ro she listen good, an don' correct me much, jes listen an make me feel good dat dere someone who take de time for dis little swamp rat. De Professor, he tink I need to learn de diplomacy, de worl' you live in, but I don tink dat de worl' for me. I know dis ting, it not somting drole, funny non, but I didn' tink it hurt so bad."

"Before, in de Big Easy, it weren't no big deal. I see you on de TV, hear you on de radio, and Remy laugh at me bout my crush on de 'Ambassador' non? It a joke, someting ta make dem laugh. It was so easy to hide de hurt, den. I not know you, I not feel your touch, and I not hear your voice so soft in my ear, like on de plane, I not know your scent. Now I can' sleep, I can' eat, de day you lef I t'ought I die."

How had she gotten so far, so quickly? Kit had taken weeks to get to this point with Logan, with Mia it had been the same, and he knew Nancy and Frank hadn't been this tightly bonded for years. God he needed to move, he needed to get to the lab, to see Nancy's research, to try to find out why it was so strong with them. He had hoped it was just him, that she was having a normal reaction that his leaving would slow things down like it had with Kit and Logan when he had left.

"I hate dis, I hate you not bein here, and I hate not knowin. I would rather you be here, rather you tell me dat it hopeless, den at least my pain would be normal, but de Professor he said you feel de same, and dat scare me, ma amour, cuz dat mean you feel dis pain too, dat you chose dis over bein wid me, and dat make me tink dat I not good enough for you."

He couldn't stop himself; he gripped her hand hard, the pain shooting all the way up through his arm and into his brain.

"Stop, please." He whispered. How had she gotten things so wrong? She was perfection, she was his mate, the one creature on this planet he had waited for his entire life.

She squeaked in fear, but he wouldn't let go of her hand, wouldn't let her run. It was pure pain to speak, but he had to make her understand.

"Michelle, you are all I want, all I need, just as you are. The lessons…were just to divert you, give you something else to concentrate on, to help you adjust to our separation. Please – please believe me; I have waited for you my entire life. I have watched women who I – cared about find their mate, and have been left standing – alone. When you opened your eyes on that plane and looked into mine, I knew I would never be alone again." He had to stop, his lungs hurt, his body hurt but he had to get through to her. He felt the tears in his eyes as he rested, felt them well over and run slowly down his face and into his hair. He felt her gentle fingers wipe them away, and in that brief touch thought he was in heaven. The sigh that escaped his lips echoed in the nearly silent room.

"Then why did you leave me?" She whispered, he could hear the struggle with the words.

"Because you are – underage." His breathing was becoming labored. He needed to rest, to allow his healing to work. "Because you are neither physically nor emotionally prepared for what I need from you. I need a mate – a partner, and you have lived so little of your life, you shouldn't have met me this soon. It was all too soon. I have lived too long, been alone too long; your arrival took me by surprise. I thought I was meant to be alone, and when I realized – how very young you were, it just reinforced that thought."

"Der is dis sayin I always remember. One of my foster mothers used to say it before I ran away. 'Everyting happens in God's time.' I don't tink dat dere is a too soon, or a too late. I tink tings happen when dey are supposed to, and it's up to us to clean up de mess."

Where had this wisdom come from in one so young? Of course she was absolutely correct, and he was a total old fool. He squeezed her hand again. She was his mate, why was he running away? It shouldn't be Charles and Ororo teaching her, it should be him. He should have that joy, to watch her discover new things, to bask in the light in her eyes at each revelation. Why had he avoided her, why had he put this off?

"Michelle, I need to rest, but please stay. I can't imagine you not being here when I awake – I need you so." His voice was barely a whisper but he knew she heard him. She laid her head against his hand, and he could feel the dampness on her cheek. He would pay for those tears, the rest of his life, but he made a vow to himself, she would never cry needless tears for him again. He drifted off to recuperative sleep, his mate, his love at his side.


	11. Jack of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

Jack of Hearts

She hadn't said a word. She had just held the baby and looked at him, and he could smell the fear, and the pain rolling off of her. She had been like this for days, even before they had brought that snake here. He had dealt with Graydon. She had insisted on being there, she wasn't recovered from giving birth to his son, and yet she had insisted on being there, when he confronted Graydon. He tried to forget the venom that had been thrown at them, and looked at his mate and child.

"Are you alright?" She finally asked him, quietly.

"Yes – are you?" She just nodded and turned. What was wrong with her? The day he found out, she had been so strong, forceful, demanding that he make it right, and now – she had been quiet the last few days, since finding out about Graydon. Was it Kit and Logan's announcement of the date, that they were getting married – finally? She had known that was going to happen. Why would that bother her? He just didn't understand how frails thought.

"Baby, let's get you and the baby back home."

"Ok." She gave him a small smile, and he scooped both of them up into his arms and carried her out of the mansion and down the path to their cabin. He set her down, just inside the door, and she carried the Thomas to his room and laid him down.

He sat down on the couch and waited for her to come to him. Something was bothering her, had been since the Salem attack. He didn't know what it was. She had supported him, been there when he had dealt with his and Raven's mistake. He knew he needed to make sure she knew how much he appreciated her – needed her. She was so quiet – so peaceful – most of the time, but lately she had been a virago, shouting and angry or afraid and hurting. He thought it might have something to do with not sleeping, so he had tried to help with Thomas, let her sleep, but that hadn't helped, it seemed to make her more afraid.

His working with the X-Men wasn't helping either. She hadn't said anything but her fear was worse after he had been on a mission. He heard a sound in the back of the house. She wasn't coming to him, she had gone into the bedroom, and she was avoiding him. Shit! This was bad.

He stood up and walked to the small bedroom, she was curled up on the bed that took up most of the room, her back to the door.

"Baby, what's wrong?" He sat down on the end of the bed.

"Nothing, I'm just tired." She was lying to him. She NEVER lied to him. Something was bothering her, and it had to do with him.

"Darlin, I know better. You have been smellin of fear and pain and now you are lyin' to me." He wasn't angry. He just wanted to make it better.

"It's nothing, Vic. Just leave me alone." Leave her alone! Like hell he would leave her alone, she was his fucking mate, if he left her alone she could get hurt…NOW he was getting pissed!

"Fine, I'll be at the mansion if you need me." He got up and stormed out. She wanted to be alone…fine! At least here, he knew she was safe. What the fuck was her problem?! He started back up the path, heading for the kitchen at the mansion, he saw Kit sitting under the sweetheart tree. He changed direction and went to talk to her. Maybe her sister could shed some light on what was going on in his damned mate's head.

She just watched him, as he approached. She wasn't afraid, even though he knew she could tell he was angry.

"Would you talk to your sister and find out what the hell is bothering her." He shouted at the girl on the bench, his eyes black, fangs bared…he knew it wasn't Kit's fault but he didn't know what else to do.

"What?"

"She's afraid all the time, she is hurting, and won't go see Jean to see if anything is wrong, and now she is lying to me and telling me to leave her alone." He sat down hard on the other end of the bench. He felt Kit shift on the bench to look at him.

"Victor, she is afraid you are going to leave her." Kit said softly.

"WHAT? Who put that fool headed idea in her head, I'll kill em?" Kit laughed. Now he was getting pissed, LEAVE her…she was his fucking mate, he would sooner cut off his fucking arm…at least it would grow back, and her fucking sister was LAUGHING at him.

"What's so damned funny?"

"You." She continued chuckling, not the least bit intimidated by his ire. "Victor, do you love Mia?"

"Yea, what kind of fool question is that?" He looked away from her, and down at his feet. _Did he love Mia?_ She was an idiot for asking.

"Do you want to be with her for her entire life?"

"Hell yea, of course I do. She is my mate for fuck's sake."

"Have you told HER that?"

"All the fucking time, I tell her she is my mate, that I love her, and that I need her. I am here, I ain't taken off, least not for more than a day or two and that was ta make enough money ta support her and the kid."

"Victor, have you offered her any promise that you will be there, anything that would let her know she is secure, safe, not physically, but emotionally."

"Like fucking what?! I am here, I take care of her and the kid, I am sticking around and playing nice with the fucking X-Geeks, I am even being nice ta the fucking Runt because he is family. I put up with your parents insultin me, givin me hell because I ain't workin a regular job, ain't marr…" he stopped dead. THAT was it! Kit just grinned at him. He was so close to wiping that smile off of her face.

"She ain't never said anything." He looked at the ground at his feet again. "When all this started she said she didn't need marriage, didn't need security, as long as she was with me."

"Victor, she is afraid of pushing you away if she mentions it."

"WHAT?"

"She thinks you will leave her if she lets you know her needs have changed, that she does need that security now."

"WELL, HELL! I need ta think…she told you that?"

"Yes, she did. She is afraid that since she can't meet your – physical needs, right now, that you will find someone who can, that you will leave her and Thomas alone and unprotected, and I think she is a little afraid of the side of you she has seen in battle. I know I am a little disturbed by Logan's 'Wolverine,' and I have fought next to him. Mia, well you have never let her see that side of you, and – I think – it is making her even more afraid of what you will do if she pushes."

"I'd never hurt her or the baby. She KNOWS that, doesn't she?" He looked at Kit, horror etched on his face. She had to know that, had to KNOW he wouldn't hurt her. He couldn't live if she was afraid of him.

"I think deep down she does, but, she isn't feeling very good about herself right now, I think it is partially post partum depression, partially everything going on, and partially the lack of security with the loss of the farm and not having a real home to go back to if something goes wrong."

"And partially it is the fact that the bond between you formed so young." Nancy walked up behind them. Shit he was losing it; he hadn't even heard or smelled her. "And partially the fact that she is human, and you have such a strong and obvious mutation."

"How long have you been there?" He asked her.

"Long enough." Shit he was in for it now, Nancy could be downright vicious when she wanted to be.

Kit stood up and let her mother sit down, Kit dropped to the ground in front of them.

"What do you mean the bond formed so young?" He looked at the older woman.

"I have been studying Hank and Mike's reaction. She is younger than Mia was when you two bonded and is having a VERY strong reaction. Hank is frightened, because she is reacting so strongly. I have narrowed it down to two factors, one that she and Mia share, and that is youth. The other is her very strong feral mutation."

"So because Mike is a feral her reaction to the Y factor is stronger?" Kit asked.

"Something like that, it is more complicated, but basically, when Hank experimented on himself to control his own feral mutation, when he turned blue, he reversed his mutation, causing his body to react to the Y factor almost as if he were a female mate. He has needed a woman with a strong feral mutation to be able to form the bond because HE is the calming influence, not the wild, predatory hunter that most men who react to the factor are. Mike's feral mutation is very strong, and her predatory instincts are very much heightened due to her life on the streets in New Orleans, she is more of a scavenger than a predator, I believe Victor pinned it down, she is more like a raccoon than say a bobcat."

"That doesn't explain Mia." He didn't care about some kid from New Orleans; he just wanted to know what to do to help his mate.

"That is the other part of the equation. Mike's reaction to Hank is strong; the only reaction I have ever seen that was that strong was Mia's. I have looked back, through our family history, and found that the younger the woman was when she found her mate, the stronger the reaction. I have been studying the genetic factors in all three women, and found that the two younger ones are more malleable; more likely to modify their behavior, their very personality to match their mate. The older the female is when the bond forms, the more likely she is to retain her own personality traits, her own behavioral patterns. The bond becomes as strong as with a younger woman, but takes more time to form and gain that strength. Older women need more physical contact with their mates, need to be in closer proximity, but don't suffer as much identity issues."

"So because Mia and I formed the bond while she was younger, she has been trying to be what she thinks I need, even if it goes against what she really is?" Hey he wasn't stupid, something people were constantly amazed by.

"Exactly, Victor, I wish you had come to me about this several months ago. Mia hasn't said anything, and with the pregnancy I didn't really notice the changes. I do think there is some post partum depression involved, but she needs the security of your bond, Victor. THAT is her lifeline right now, and for some reason she doubts it." He just sat there a moment, and then made a decision. If his mate needed security, well then by God she was going to get security.

"Victor, where are you going?" Kit asked as he stood up.

"To take care of this; I know exactly what to do."

"Victor, it isn't going to be that easy." Nancy said.

"Yes it is I can solve this in about an hour." The two women just shook their heads at him as he headed up the path to the mansion. He needed to make some phone calls, talk to the Bald Egg head, and then his mate.

He knocked on the door to Charles' office.

"Come in."

"Can I use your phone?"

"Certainly, Victor, there is one in the library if you need privacy."

"Nope, I need you to hear this." He could tell he had surprised the telepath and that made him smile.

He dialed the number from memory. Five rings and then it picked up.

"What do you want, Victor." Erik said on the other end.

"I quit."

"WHAT?"

"I quit."

"Sabertooth, you can't quit, you belong with us."

"No, I belong with my mate. The Brotherhood will get along just fine without me; you have for over a year. I ain't taking orders from you anymore."

"You will pay for this." Erik hissed at him.

"No, I am paying now, I am ending it. My mate needs me, and frankly her needs come first." He hung up the phone.

"Chuck, you know that offer you made, well I am takin it."

Charles just smiled at him. He hated the smug egg head, but Mia needed the damned security, so he would play nice with the X-Geeks, at least for a while.

"Do you have that package I asked you to hang onto?"

"Yes, it is in the safe."

"I need it."

Charles wheeled himself over to a painting and pulled it back on its hinges. He opened the large safe behind it, and pulled out a leather wrapped parcel, closed the safe, and wheeled back to his desk.

Victor took the package, and opened it. The flash of light off the different items inside thrilled the part of him that loved beauty. He picked through, and finally pulled out three items. He wrapped the package back up and handed it to Charles.

"That's what I needed."

"I will put the rest back. Are you certain about this, Victor, you are giving up quite a bit of your independence."

"Yea, I am certain."

Charles smiled at him. "Welcome to the team, Victor."

He growled as he stood up and walked out the door. Team schmeam, he was doing this for Mia.

He went looking for the Runt. He found him downstairs, with the firecracker.

"You lookin for trouble?" Logan glared at him.

"Naa, got enough of that with my mate at the moment." Logan laughed at him. "I need ta give ya somethin."

Logan looked at him strangely. He pulled one of the rings he had pulled out of his bundle. "This was your mother's." Logan just took the ring and looked at it, and then heaved a large sigh. "I thought you might like ta give it ta Kit."

"Thanks." Victor just nodded and turned to leave.

"You finally goin ta make an honest woman of your mate?" The Runt said, as his hand closed around the ring in his hand.

"Hell, yea." Logan started chuckling, and it built into a full laugh. Victor just growled and walked away, listening to Logan's laughter down the hallway behind him. He looked at his watch, yep just about twenty minutes left; he could make it back to the cabin and make his woman smile, all in under an hour.

He slipped back into the quiet cabin. He listened to the sleeping rhythms of his mate and cub. He hated to wake her, but what he had to say was exactly what she needed. He slipped his boots off, and into the bedroom, he crept up onto the bed, carefully, he wanted her to wake up in his arms. He slipped an arm around her waist and began kissing her neck. He could smell the salt of her tears, and it caused a sharp pain in his chest. He tried not to let her know just how much power she had over him, her tears were the one thing that could break him – make him fall apart, make him feel, well – frail.

He heard a small movement from the baby, and almost went to check, a slight stab of fear that he had stopped breathing cutting through his chest, but the tiny snore reassured him that he was still sleeping. They were going to have to sound proof that boy's room someday, or he would keep the whole house up with his snoring. Victor smiled; at least the boy got something from him.

He turned back to the woman in his arms. She was starting to stir, and he smiled. She rolled onto her back, and opened her eyes. He was leaning over her. The little nap had done her some good, she didn't smell as afraid, he could still smell pain but it wasn't as intense either.

"Hey." She whispered, her eyes still full of the dream she had been having, her lips curled in a sleepy smile.

"Hey, yourself." He kissed the end of her nose, her scent filling his sinuses. His mate – he wanted to scoop her up into his arms, but was content to lay next to her and caress her cheek.

"Are you hungry?"

"For you – always." He grinned at her. Shit they had been together a year and she still blushed when he said things like that.

"I meant lunch." She slapped playfully against his chest, the light blush just making her even more beautiful in his eyes.

"No." He couldn't stop looking at her.

"Is everything ok?" Her face was puzzled.

"Yea, baby – everything is just fine, but there are a couple things I need ta tell ya." He didn't want to scare her.

"What?" Shit! She was reeking of fear. He was going to have to calm her down - better get the rough part over with.

"I called Erik and told him I was quitting the Brotherhood." Her eyes got wide, and he smiled. "And I took Charles up on his offer ta join the team full time. We are going ta be staying here, no more movin around."

"We?" She WAS afraid he would leave, or send her away, he could smell it – hear it in the way she said that one word.

"Yea, you're my mate ain't ya?"

She sighed and snuggled against him. Well, the fear was backing off, but he could still smell the pain. He was quiet for a while, letting her relax against his chest. He knew she could tell he was grinning.

"What's going on, Victor." She looked up at him, her face puzzled again. He liked keeping her off balance; it made things all the sweeter when he gave her something to smile about.

"Nothin much, just – well, I found somethin when I was going through some stuff I had the Egg Head put up for me. I think it needs ta be out in the open, not locked up in some safe." He took her left hand and slipped a simple ring onto her finger. It wasn't traditional, but it also wasn't something that he had taken from a kill. He would never give her anything that cost blood to obtain. He had seen it, years before, and bought it because he liked it. It was a large cat's eye ruby, surrounded by diamonds. He had found another ring that matched it almost perfectly, the smaller rubies and diamonds in a simple band, and that he planned on using for her wedding band.

"Wow, Vic, it's beautiful. You have never given me any jewelry before." There were tears in her eyes. He had to think about it. She was right, he hadn't ever given her anything – not jewelry, not a home, but all that was about to change.

"Yea well most of the jewelry I own I wouldn't give ta you; you don't need ta be tainted by any of the blood I have spilled. This I found years ago and liked the stone so I bought it. It doesn't have any blood on it." He smiled at her.

"Oh." She laid her head on his chest, her fingers clenched as if he might try to take the ring away again. He took her hand and smoothed it flat against his chest, and gripped her fingers with his hand. She had nothing to fear from him, and he needed to make her understand that. He hoped what he had to say next would help.

"Baby, I umm, well I have another ring that goes with it." He was suddenly nervous. Her mother and sister seemed so sure this was what she wanted, but suddenly he didn't know.

"Really?" She looked up at him, a strange look in her eye. He knew she could hear the tremor in his voice.

"Yep. But – well – I ain't – ain't g-givin it ta you – not until the w-wedding." He held his breath, damn he was stammering. Was it that fucking hard to ask a woman to marry you?

"Wedding?" He could see confusion in her eyes.

"Yea." He waited, hoping she would get it, without him having to spell it out. She just looked at him.

"Do you mean Kit and Logan's wedding?"

"Hell no!" She was still confused. Damn it all to hell. "Will you marry me, Mia?" He had been afraid he would stammer again, but it came out clear and strong. He watched her eyes, as the confusion drained out of them, and then suddenly they lit up, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Her whole face was glowing when she pulled back.

"Yes." She whispered the word, but it was all he needed. He crushed her against him, and breathed a sigh of relief. She had said yes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Marie sat there. The last few weeks had been hell. First that damnable flirt had shown up, and then Bobby pulled his 'let's be friends' act, now Kit and Logan were finally getting married, and Jubilee got hurt at the UN.

She looked out the window and saw Kit and Vic and Nancy talking under the tree out in the back. She tried to hide it, but she still got nervous around Creed. She couldn't forget the way he had looked at her, when she was Magneto's prisoner, like she was some kind of plaything that he was waiting for permission to play with.

Hank was hurt, and the new girl, Mike was all wrapped up with him. It was all that damned Y factor shit. First Kit and Mia and now Mike, and everyone was happy, everyone was hugging and kissing and laughing, and she sat on the outside. Didn't they care what it was doing to her? God that sounded whiny even to her.

And of course she had to hide from that damned Remy. Every time he saw her he gave her these outrageous looks, had stolen five kisses in the last week alone and even ended up in the med lab after one of them. She smiled; ok maybe he wasn't that bad, he was cute, flattering, and really had been pouring on the charm since Bobby broke up with her. More than that, he was talking to her, treating her like a person, and he wasn't afraid of her, wasn't afraid to touch her, and that made her feel good. Made her feel really good and the boy could kiss.

Shit, she needed to stop thinking about Remy LeBeau. She was blushing. He had caught her this morning in the hallway on her way to go to school, and this time he had used her scarf. She had started wearing the flimsy ones, so she could feel more of him through them. He had kissed her senseless, left her feeling weak kneed and faint, then grinned and walked off, without saying a single word. That swamp rat was going to get another taste of her knee if he didn't quit this.

She had even started working with the Professor, trying to control her power again. With the gradual return after the cure, she discovered she didn't have to drain someone completely, and that she could stop herself from draining them. She didn't have to kill anyone anymore, and the Professor thought she might be getting close to full control. She couldn't wait. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do first, punch Bobby with her bare fist, hug Logan, her best friend, without having to worry about him as a permanent resident in her head, or find Remy and kiss him back.

"Hey, Kid." Logan walked up behind her.

"Hey, yourself." She replied.

"I thought you had classes?"

"Ah decided Ah needed a hooky day."

"Thought they called those 'mental health' days now?" He gave her that 'sure you did' look and sat down on the window seat next to her. "So, what's going on with you and Gumbo?"

"Nothin!"

"That's why I been smellin him all over ya lately."

"It ain't like that, he – well - he's been stealin kisses if ya must know." She blushed.

"Oh really! Am I going ta have ta have a talk with that boy." He popped his claws for emphasis.

"No! Ah can handle Remy."

"I'm sure you can, I'm just not sure Remy can handle you." He grinned at her. God she was glad he was feeling better. She still loved him, and was happy for him with Kit and all, but she still felt those little pangs of jealousy. She knew she didn't want it to be her, but she wished she had someone to be that happy with.

He reached out and pulled her into a hug. "Kid, go with your gut. I think the kid really likes ya, but if you don't want this, then let him know, don't play games."

"Ah ain't - Ah'm just not sure. He's sweet, and funny, and – well – tha boy can kiss, a hell of a lot better than Bobby ever did." She felt her face get hot. She couldn't believe she was talking to Logan about how well her boyfriend could kiss. Where did that thought come from, her boyfriend?

"You ok?"

"Yea, Ah think Ah need ta go find Remy, and tell him somethin'."

"Ok, I need ta go check on Jubes; just don't play games, kid." That advice from Logan was funny, and she laughed as he walked away. She stalked the hallways, looking for a swamp rat.

She found him, talking on a cell phone. He was in the library, between some book cases. She slipped up behind one of them, intending to surprise him

"Chere, I tol you, I wan dis over. It not like I ain't given you more dan enough cause."

"NO, you sen me de papers here an' I sign dem, oui."

"Yes, chere, it is a femme, ok."

"No, I am dans l'amour avec elle."

"Oui."

"Bel, Chere, I know you gots de petit ami, I wan out. Jes give me de divorce, non."

DIVORCE. Marie wanted to run, wanted to hide, and wanted to KILL him. He was married.

"Non, Mi amour, she like de angel, an it complicated. She got dis skin dat so soft, so creamy, and so deadly. She put dis ol Gambit out cold, jes from a kiss, and I ain ever been happier."

"Oui, merci, merci beaucoup, Remy be expectin de papers soon, non?"

He hung up the phone and kissed it. He leaned back against the bookcase, and she watched him through a gap in the books.

"Now all Remy gots ta do, is win de Rogue."

"That ain't goin ta be as easy as ya think." She said out loud, startling him, and causing him to pull books out of the bookcase and onto the floor with a crash. She walked around the bookcase and stood there, hands on her hips. He was scrambling to pick up the books and get them back on the shelf.

"Chere, how long you been standin der?" He had a look of real fear on his face.

"Long enough." She was so angry she was seeing red.

"Chere, wait." She turned and stormed away.

"CHERE." He forgot the books and followed her. "Se vous plait, Marie." She stopped. He gripped her elbow, and turned her to face him. He never called her Marie; she didn't even know he knew her real name.

"You heard me talkin to Bella, non?"

"Yes."

"Do you know how hard it is to get de divorce? She's tryin to get de bishop to give us de annulment."

"Why should Ah care?" She yanked her arm out of his hand.

"Chere, please, I doin dis for you." He grabbed her arm again, desperation in his face.

"No you ain't. You are doin it for yourself. Don't lie ta me Remy LeBeau."

He pulled hard on the arm he was holding, and crushed her against his chest. He whipped the end of her scarf up, and across her face before capturing her mouth with a fierce kiss. She felt like her entire body was on fire. Bobby had never kissed her like this, even after she took the cure, and could touch, it was never like this. She didn't think she just responded. Her hands slipped around his back, under his ever present duster, she dug her fingers into the muscles of his back, trying to absorb him into her body. One of his hands was holding the scarf in place, the other was on her ass, grinding her hips against his, letting her know in no uncertain terms exactly what he wanted.

He lifted his mouth from hers, and looked down into her eyes. His eyes were glowing red, and his mouth was bruised from her heated response to the kiss.

"Now dat's what a well kissed woman should look like." He grinned.

"Let go of me you rat." She couldn't put much force behind the words, especially since his hands had dropped, and she was the one clinging to him. He just grinned wider.

"Chere, I tink you de one who needs to be letting go, non?"

"Like bloody hell." She grinned back at him, surprising him. "After a kissin like that, a girl deserves more than…"

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat. She pulled back and turned. It was Logan standing there, a huge grin on his face, both sets of claws flashing in the late afternoon sunlight.

"All I got ta say is, you hurt her, and Gumbo – you face me." Remy just nodded at him.

She reached out and grabbed Remy's hand. Logan didn't need any warnings; she could take care of herself around this swamp rat.


	12. Queen of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

A/N This chapter was written to "The Monster is Loose" by Meat Loaf.

Queen of Hearts

She lay there, quietly, the sound of his heartbeat music to her ears. She looked at the ring on her finger. She didn't know why, she didn't really care, she was his, and he was hers, and he didn't care who knew. She smiled as his arm crept up her back and pulled her closer in his sleep.

She was still trying to believe he had joined the team, he hated teams. She knew he had done it for her and the baby, but somehow, she knew it was something he really wanted to do anyway. Something had changed in him, something deep, she didn't know if it was the factor, or if it was the baby, or if it had nothing to do with them at all, but he was more at peace than she had ever seen him.

She heard strange sounds outside the cabin, and suddenly her peaceful tabby kitten was a roaring lion. He jumped out of bed, ran to the baby's room and grabbed Thomas and the diaper bag, by the time she was out of bed he was back, and threw her over his shoulder and took off, kicking the front door down and running full out toward the mansion. She looked up, just in time to see a tree crash into the roof of their little cabin, felled by the foot of one of the giant robots. They were attacking the school. She knew Victor smelled her fear, but she couldn't stop it. They were HUGE.

He ran into the kitchen, and dropped her in one of the chairs by the table, handing her Thomas, and running for the elevator. Kit and most of the children were running down one of the hallways, toward a secret exit. She stood up and ran to where her sister was ushering children down into the escape tunnels.

Logan ran by, zipping up his leather uniform, stopping long enough to grab his mate and give her a rough kiss.

"Get the kids to safety, Baby." He headed out the front door, the rest of the team not far behind, as they pulled themselves into the tight leather outfits.

"Mia, you get the kids to safety, I may be needed here, at least with my mutation I can help with the fight."

"Kit, please, come with me. I am scared, and someone needs to be with the kids, to defend them.

"I can't. I am not going to let these assholes destroy what we have here. Get in there, you and Thomas need to get to safety. Siryn is down there, with the kids." Nancy and Frank ran up just then, and Mia kissed Thomas gently, and handed him to her mother, the diaper bag hanging from her hand.

"Then I am staying with you. Mom can take care of Thomas; I am not going to go down without a fight either." Nancy just looked at her daughters, shaking her head, taking the baby and the diaper bag and heading into the darkened tunnel. "Nancy, take care of the kids. I am staying with the girls." Frank slammed the door closed on his wife's startled face.

"Kit, honey, you probably ought to put on this fancy leather outfit, Mia and I can cover the front with guns – from those windows on the second floor." She noticed he was carrying his gun bags.

"Dad, I'm not a part of the team, I don't wear one of those uniforms." She was heading out the front door, her jeans and T shirt would have to do. Her ribs were finally healed enough to go into a fight again.

"MARQUETTE" he threw the uniform in his hand at her "bullshit put that damned thing on before you go out there. Logan and Victor both are trained to recognize anyone wearing it as a friend. If you aren't wearing it, you might get hurt." How did her Dad know that?

Mia watched as she slipped into the library to change.

Her dad handed her a shotgun, and a belt with shells, from one of the zippered bags he was carrying. "You take left flank honey. I'll take right." She ran up the stairs, panting when she got to the second floor. Damn, she was out of shape from the baby, two weeks and she still couldn't run up a flight of stairs.

She knelt down to one side of the window, and opened it up, so she would have a clear shot. The entire yard was a mass of bodies, robots, humans and X Men. She saw her sister run out the front door and join the fight. A sudden flash of tawny hair and she was distracted, she watched Victor fight.

She felt a spike of fear, her mate was down there, and he could be killed. She gripped her left hand hard. He was hers, and nothing was going to take him away from her. She opened her eyes and really watched him move. He thought she was safe, so he wasn't trying to hide what he was. Blood flowed around him, his claws and fangs were dripping with it, it coated the soft downy fur of his body, and his jeans were soaked through. His bare feet were dug into the blood soaked ground, and he wasn't going to give any ground without taking his toll in blood and death.

The fear drained from her, and suddenly she felt something strange – pride. That was her man down there fighting for them – protecting them – and look at him go. She wondered why she had been so afraid watching it on the television – that was what he was created for, and he was totally in his element. A sudden movement behind him caught her eye. One of the soldiers he had thought was down had stood up, with a knife in his hand. She was suddenly calm, he was her man and she wasn't going to let him get hurt. She sighted down the gun, and fired. Her daddy taught her to shoot when she was seven, and her aim was rarely off, the gun was loaded with deer shot, and the man just dropped, a large hole in the middle of his chest.

Victor looked up, startled by the sound of gunfire. He roared at her but she just flipped him off and went back to taking shots as she could, without hurting her friends. She knew he would be angry later, but he would also know she was safe where she was, and could help.

She had lost sight of Kit in the fight, but she saw a huge pile of bodies and Logan standing in the middle of it, claws out and dripping blood. She was suddenly very glad her mate and he were no longer enemies. The two of them were cutting a huge swath through the attackers. The sudden blasts of energy told her Scott was up on top of the school somewhere, blasting away, and she could see Piotr, in full metal mode, doing his own share of damage. A sudden blue flash and Hank was there, a smaller form next to him. A shot from the other tower told her that her father was protecting them too. She didn't look for her friends, she just started shooting, as she could, there was no way in HELL she was going to allow these mutant hating freaks to come in here and destroy everything NOW.

Suddenly the robots stopped. She could see confusion from the ground, why had they stopped? From her vantage point she tried looking for a cause, but her view was blocked by their metal forms. Then slowly one at a time, they lifted into the air and were dumped, hard into the lake, sparks flying as they shorted out. She looked down the driveway and there coming around the bend, was the Brotherhood. Flames started flying as Pyro got into the act, and she watched as Mystique began cutting her own swath through the ground troops. She was actually glad to see them, even the damned blue bitch.

The confusion of the Brotherhood's arrival gave her a breathing space; she reloaded the gun, and started looking for another clear shot. She watched as Hank tore through, and was surprised to see the young girl with him more than holding her own. Damn, she had claws too, and knew how to use them. The explosions of Gambit's power were on the east flank, and she knew Marie was down there somewhere. She hadn't seen any sign of Kitty, but they called her Shadowcat for a reason. She was scanning the crowd for her sister or her mate. She suddenly saw Kit – she had her own pile of bodies around her, and Mia was surprised, her sister was moving in a way she had never seen. So that is what her mutation looked like, Mia wondered who she was mirroring off of. She looked around but couldn't see anyone moving the way Kit was.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The battle raged around her. She was glad when the Brotherhood showed up; the robots were out of commission, thanks to Magneto. She didn't care at this point if the bodies around her were still breathing or not. As long as Logan was in her line of sight she could mirror him, and do ok. He suddenly went down, under a pile of bodies, and she thought her heart froze. A sudden cry from behind her grabbed her attention.

"MIRROR." It was Victor; she didn't even know he knew her code name. She turned, just as the man came at her with the butt of his gun, he hit her hard, across the back and if it wasn't for the leather suit her father had made her change into, she would have had a huge gash across her lower back. She swung into a full roundhouse and dropped him. Victor waded through the bodies and glared at her.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN?" he roared at her.

"Defending my home, you?" she smarted back.

He growled and reached for her but she backed up.

"You need ta get the hell out of this fight." Now why was he being so damned protective all the sudden.

"Not till we are safe." She shouted back at him.

"What about the baby, Kit."

"The baby will be fine. HOW the hell did you KNOW?"

"I can smell it."

Hank ran up at that point, Mike right behind him. Victor grinned at the two ferals. Michelle seemed to be in her element, claws out, blood dripping, Hank looked to be in a bit of shock though.

"Kit, get back inside, you are putting yourself and the baby in unnecessary jeopardy." Shit why was everyone trying to tell her what to do, and did the whole damned world know she was pregnant. She just turned and started working her way toward Logan's side, where she belonged; to hell with all of them.

She watched as a tawny streak passed her, and suddenly and come out of a pile of soldiers with Graydon Creed on the ends of his claws.

"This ends now, Creed." He snarled at the man, his claws digging into the man's arms.

"Yes it does. YOU and all this mutant scum will die…humans first, FATHER!" He sneered. Looking at the two men face to face she could see the resemblance between them.

"Graydon – stop this." Mystique ran up.

"I should have killed you first, Mother. Mutant WHORE!" Mystique reared back and slapped him hard, nearly snapping his neck.

"I give up, I have protected you, looked the other way – when you hurt my friends, my mutant family – because you were blood, but no more. I wash my hands of you. You are no son of mine."

"That's fine with me, you mutant bitch." She turned and walked away. Kit could swear there was a tear streaking down her face.

Victor snarled at his son, and she couldn't hear what he said, but she heard Graydon curse his father - again, and Victor, without a pause or a second glance – slashed him across the chest, twice, in a perfect X made up of four slashes for each leg. The younger Creed dropped to the ground, blood, entrails, and bile gushing from the wounds across his torso. Kit just stopped, watching father and son end this battle.

End it, it did, the FOH pulled back, taking the body of their fallen leader with them.

She heard a sudden roar from behind her. She felt two hands like steel vices on both shoulders, and knew Logan had found her.

"I ought ta KILL you." He screamed as he turned her around. "What the HELL were you thinkin."

"Oh, I don't know that I COULD HELP." She shouted back.

"What about the baby, Kit?" His face was a mask of fear and agony.

"GOD you are the third person to say something about that, the baby is FINE. I am not a fucking invalid, I'm pregnant."

"Yea and you don't know how your mutation is going to affect the baby, and I bet you were Mirroring left and right." She could feel him trying to control the urge to shake her.

"This from the man who doesn't even know if he wants this baby, THAT'S RICH."

He took two steps back hands dropping to his side. His face was pale, and she could see the pain in his eyes.

"What did you say?"

"Oh, God, Logan, I'm sorry."

"Get your ass back inside NOW." He roared the last, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

She ran for the front door, slamming it behind her. She ran up the stairs, not even seeing her father or sister, straight to her room and slammed the door, locking it behind her. How could she have said that? God, how could she have been that cruel? She threw herself down on the bed, crying. Things had been going so well, why had she hurt him like that?

She heard someone at the door, they tried the knob but didn't knock, and they just walked away. She just cried. Finally, someone knocked.

"Kit, its Jean; can we talk." Oh yea the last person she wanted to see.

"I know that, but, please, can we talk." She stood up and walked to the door.

The red head was standing outside, still in her leather uniform, a gentle smile on her face. "Wow, Logan's pretty pissed."

"Perfect opportunity for you, I am surprised you are here, instead of chasing him down."

"I can see why he is pissed. Your mouth is running but your brain isn't in gear." She looked at the doctor in shock.

"Ok – what – you going to tell me how much better for Logan you would be?" Jean just sighed and walked into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"No, I am going to try to fix this mess that you made." She walked to Logan's chair and sat down.

Kit sat on the edge of the bed.

"Logan loves you; he and I have been trying to get his head straightened out for months, so that he could be the man he thinks you need. He is scared out of his mind, that he won't be a good father, that he won't be a good husband, that he will get the itch and run and leave you with no one to protect you. I don't know why he came to me, except I was always able to get into his head when the Professor couldn't. I could tell how much he didn't trust me, how angry he was, and it would piss me off. I thought at one time that I loved him, and I do, as a brother, as a friend, but not like I love Scott. He came to me, a woman he doesn't trust, to try to control his beast, so that he could be what you need."

Kit just looked at the red head for the first time in a long time. She was calm – not angry, not hurtful or snide, but she seemed to be honestly trying to help. Kit leaned back on her hands and decided to listen.

"To be honest, until the baby, I didn't think it would work, but now, he…I can't explain it but he is more determined than ever to get control."

"He told me he didn't know how he felt about the baby." Kit whispered.

"And he didn't, until today, until he saw you out there – fighting – putting both of you at risk, and all he could think of was trying to make sure you both were safe. He was as worried about the baby as he was you."

Shit! Kit had really screwed up. "Is he…" she was afraid to ask the question, she was afraid to voice it. Had she really screwed everything up, was he going to leave her, did he hate her that much? She hoped Jean would pick it up and know the answer.

Jean stood up and walked over to the bed, and pulled Kit into a hug. "No! He's hurt; he can't understand why you would lash out at him like that. I tried to explain about hormones and pregnancy and mood swings, and I think he kind of understood, but this is Logan we are talking about." Kit suddenly felt a little better. She actually laughed a little and smiled at the red head. Maybe Jean really was trying to help.

"Of course, you know you are the one who reminded Logan that we were once friends, I hope you and I can get past this whole Phoenix – thing – and be friends as well. Now why don't we get you out of that uniform, and into something comfortable?" She let Jean help her out of the blood soaked leather. It was after she stepped out of it that she realized that some of the blood was her own.

"Let's get you to med lab, now" Jean lifted her with her mind and floated her down the stairs. She had a gash on her upper right arm, a slash across her back, and the bruise from the blow from the gun was throbbing. Now that she had calmed down she noticed that she was also feeling a cramping down low, and hoped it wasn't anything serious. The elevator opened and she felt strange, floating in mid air while waiting for the doors to open again. Jean floated her into the exam room, and set her gently on an exam table.

Kit doubled over as soon as Jean released her. She felt a sudden panic – this wasn't good, from cramps to sharp pain. Where the hell was Logan?

Almost as if by magic he was there. Jean didn't say a word; just let him take her hand while she examined her. Kit could tell by her face that it was serious.

"Baby, hang on." Logan gripped her hand, and she looked at his face. He was crying. _What the hell?_ Her mind felt like it was floating, she didn't really feel any pain until she felt a sharp prick as Jean injected her with something, as she passed out she heard Logan moaning.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mike heard the noises from the exam room across the hall. Hank had pulled her into his office after the fight. He checked her over, carefully, running his hands over her body, looking for any injuries, making sure she wasn't hurt in any way. Once he was certain she was all right, he pulled her against his chest, holding her. She relaxed, immediately. This was what she had needed. She buried her head under his chin and snuggled against the fur on his chest. She was breathing in his scent when she heard the roar of anguish across the hall. That didn't sound good. The entire fight was bad; she hoped it wasn't Remy who was hurt.

"I need to go check…" He looked up as Jean walked into the room.

"Hank, we need your help with Logan." She said sadly.

"What."

"It's Kit."

"Oh dear lord, is she alright?"

"She will be fine, but she lost the baby."

Mike watched as Hank wiped a tear from his eye, and headed across the hall. She walked into the hallway, Marie and Remy running down from the locker rooms, and stopping at the window next to her.

"What happened?" Marie asked.

"I don know." Mike whispered. She watched as her mate – Hank pulled Logan away from Kit so that Jean could finish treating her. He eased him into a chair, talking to him the entire time. Mike could hear snippets; mostly Logan moaning, saying it was his fault, if he had wanted it this wouldn't have happened, she would have taken better care. Mike watched as the older feral broke down, seeming to collapse in on himself. Hank just held him. Jean finished up a preliminary exam. Jean spoke softly to Hank, handing him a vial of Kit's blood and made Hank leave, and he came out, standing behind Mike, she leaned back on him, watching as Jean gave Logan hell.

They could hear her through the glass.

"Pull your arrogant head out of your ass. Your mate needs you right now. She doesn't need you pulling a freighter load of guilt. This happened for several reasons, none of which have anything to do with what either one of you said." He just looked at Jean, stunned.

"Logan, SNAP OUT OF IT." Suddenly the Phoenix was in full rage, and slapped him, hard across the face.

He shook his head. "What do you mean, Jean, happened for several reasons?"

"Kit was on birth control, Logan. She didn't stop taking them, after she suspected, they are still in her blood stream, and no one told her to stop taking them. That is what caused the miscarriage, not the fight."

"What?"

"Logan, in all the mess, no one reminded her to stop taking her pills. Her body was trying to listen to two different sets of hormonal signals, the pills won. It was time for her regular cycle, and that is what caused the miscarriage, **it happens**, far more often than people realize. That's why they tell women to stop taking them _immediately_ if they suspect they are pregnant. This wasn't YOUR fault, it wasn't Kit's fault, and it was just something that happens, especially with pills in the mix. Frankly, if you two want to have a baby, you might try talking about it first, so she can quit taking the pills."

Hank pulled her into his office and pushed the door closed, to give Logan and Jean a little privacy. She felt really bad for Kit, she couldn't imagine losing a baby. She felt a tear roll down her cheek and he pulled her against his chest. Since he had recovered he just held her, a lot. She wasn't complaining a bit. She felt so safe against his chest. She knew they would have to be content with this for now; he was going to be stubborn about the whole wait until she was legal thing, but at least he wasn't avoiding her anymore and that was a very good start.

"Michelle…" He whispered against her hair, his hands stroking her back. She just sighed, and snuggled against him again. She could live with this, for now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Marie watched in pain as Logan pulled the chair next to Kit's bed. Shit! Why hadn't she listened? Marie hadn't known she was still taking the pills. She should have told her, should have reminded her to stop as soon as she realized something was up. She was feeling her own freighter load of guilt. She looked over at Kit, lying on the bed. One of these days, Logan was going to get fed up, throw her over the back of a bike and take her off into the woods somewhere, and tie her up, at least until she started to listen. That girl was about as stubborn as her mate.

"Chere, de be ok." Remy slipped an arm around her waist. Well at least she had that.

He had been so cute, chasing after her, giving her flowers, and stealing kisses, and last night, he had snuck into her room, and just held her all night. It was better than anything anyone had ever done. Even when she and Bobby had been sharing the room, he had slept on the far side of the bed to avoid touching her by accident. Remy hadn't cared, he had just told her to go to sleep, and she did. Best night of sleep in a while too.

"Ah know, swamp rat, but Ah'm still worried about them."

"In all de mess, we almos miss de Fed Ex guy. My papers came today."

"So what, just cuz you're divorced don't mean Ah'm going ta fall all over ya." She turned and slipped her scarf over his face and kissed him, making the lie of her words. Of course she would. She didn't know how this thief of hearts had stolen hers, but she would be damned if she would take it back.

She was distracted by a movement in the room beyond the window. Kit was awake, Logan had his head bent, and she could just hear his voice, not what he was saying. Tears started falling down Kit's face, and Marie felt her own as well. Remy just held her, letting her cry for her friends. Logan stood up, and Marie was about to go in there and force him to stay, when he picked her up and just cradled her in his arms. He sat on the bed, holding her and just rocked her, whispering against her hair the whole time. They both had tears flowing down their faces, and Marie just watched in awe.

The Logan she had known – the one she had lived with in her head – would have run, taken off for the hills and licked his wounds, leaving Kit to suffer alone, but not now. Something had changed and for the better. He was staying, and he was strong, and he wasn't the fragile man he had been last year, after Alcatraz. **This** was the Logan who had rescued her on the top of the statue of Liberty, this man knew what he was doing, why he was doing it and wouldn't let anyone or anything stand in his way. Marie smiled through her tears. She was glad to see that Logan back.

"Why don we leave dem alone, Chere. Dey gonna be fine." She let Remy guide her to the elevator. Somehow, she was still afraid; there was something they were missing, some piece to a puzzle that was going to bite them all in the ass.


	13. King of Hearts

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

King of Hearts

He was sitting on the roof of the building watching all the preparations down below. Hank had a table out under the blooming sweetheart tree. He knew all about the 'date' tonight. Dinner, candlelight, music, dancing, flowers, Mike had been going on about it for days – that was one of the reasons he was hiding up here smoking. All the girly prep going on downstairs was driving him insane. Mike was all googly eyed over the big blue ape, Kit and Mia were going crazy with wedding plans, and his Chere, well she was being pinned and fitted for her dress for the wedding, and wouldn't let him see – or help.

He was a free man, finally, and caught up in watching not one but two men trying to tie themselves up in those knots, and a third just waiting for his sœur to grow up enough to tie him up too. Thank all the saints his Marie wasn't in any rush for that. Things were moving along just fine with him, taking it slow, long leisurely walks, kisses, no rush, no pressure, just Gambit and his Rogue. He liked that. He heaved a big sigh.

His Rogue, he liked the sound of that.

"So this is where you have been hidin from me." Speaking of, he guessed the fitting was over.

"Gambit never hide from you, Chere, you always find me." He grinned at her, pulling his shades down so he could see her clearly. She was wearing less today, just jeans and a top, and a light filmy scarf, her ever present gloves, but these were the thinnest pair yet, he could see the skin of her hands through them. "An lookin mighty fine today."

She blushed and flopped down on the roof with him. "Looks like Mike and Hank are plannin somethin special." She said with a wistful tone in her voice. He knew just how to take that tone from her voice.

"Every moment wid you is special, Chere." She leaned her head on his shoulder. They sat there for a few moments. Looking on the back yard of the mansion, you could ignore the damage still being repaired on the front from the attack. Back here it was still peaceful, still serene. He took a last drag from his cigarette and stood up, reaching down to help her up too. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small mp3 player with speakers and turned it on. Soft jazz filled the afternoon sky.

"May de Gambit have dis dance, Chere." She just grinned and moved gracefully into his arms. Yes – every moment with his Marie was special, and he made sure of it.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Vic was watching the construction of the new cottage. This one was larger, with a big bedroom upstairs for him and Mia, a bay window in the kitchen for a little breakfast nook and two larger bedrooms in back, two bathrooms, much nicer than the little one, but still cozy and comfortable. Mia was up at the school helping Kit with the wedding plans. He was so glad she was easy and didn't need all that ceremony crap. A simple trip to the courthouse last week after the attack, and it was done. She was his and had the paperwork to prove it. It didn't make that much difference to him, she was his mate and to hell with what the world thought, but it made a difference to her.

He smelled her walk up behind him; he reached back and pulled her and the cub against his side.

"Hey sexy." He whispered. He had to stop himself from running his hand up her side to cup a breast. Two weeks and counting – nights were getting rough, but he was not going to do anything to hurt her.

"Hey yourself." She said as she slipped her free arm around his waist, her fingers finding a gap between his shirt and jeans.

"How was your appointment with Jean?" He asked as he reached down to tuck the shirt into his jeans. Her fingers on his skin just felt too damned good.

"Good. Thomas is doing fine, well for a baby with razor sharp claws, we are going to have to keep them filed down until his healing factor kicks in or he is going to keep scratching himself in his sleep. The fuzz isn't going away, but we expected that." She was smiling, he could hear it. He had missed her being in a good mood.

"How are you doing?" He tried not to sound hopeful. He hadn't smelled any blood in a week, but he was still waiting for Jean's ok before he even considered touching his mate again. Losing her was not something he was going to face. He had faced that enough in the last year, her health and wellbeing came first – from now on.

"I have a clean bill of health." She leaned her head against his chest. He felt a jolt in his chest and much lower. Did that mean…

"Mom and Dad are taking Thomas tonight."

"They are?" He tried to keep the hope out of his voice. She still was hurt when she thought she couldn't take care of him, and he tried hard not to let her know just how frustrated he was.

"Well, we still need a wedding night." He looked down at her tucked under his arm, she was grinning up at him, that old twinkle in her eyes. He grinned, a small moan escaping his lips. Yep he was really in need of a wedding night. He was getting really tired of taking care of himself. He pulled them close again, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. Tonight was a whole lot better than two weeks.

"Let's go get you and the baby back to the mansion…the house will wait." They turned back toward the mansion, walking arm in arm, baby squirming. He stopped and took Thomas from his mother.

"Enough of that, your mother is going to need all the rest she can get today, cub, so you have ta deal with me." He cradled the baby in his free arm; Mia just looked at him and gave him that kitten with cream smile. He smiled back, life was good right now, and just got a whole lot better. He leaned down and kissed her, pouring all the longing of the last few weeks into her mouth. He felt her teeth on his lip and knew, before she bit, that it was going to be a wild night.

XXXXXXXXXXX

He was standing on the back portico, the double doors into the hallway behind him looking down the yard to where the table was set, the candles lit, just the lightest of breezes so they would flicker just a bit, thanks to Ro, music playing softly, dinner would be ready momentarily, and they had their own private servers tonight, in Kurt and Piotr. He straightened his jacket, brushing his plain black tie smooth, Taz hiding under the jacket. He heard a noise behind him, and turned.

She was standing there in a simple black sheath, with blue embroidery, her hair loose and flowing with natural curl. He walked across the porch and held out his arm. She blushed as she took it, and they started walking toward the table.

"You look lovely." He said, placing a hand over hers on his elbow. They walked the path, slowly just enjoying each other's company.

"So do you." She blushed. He could tell she was nervous.

"Michelle, relax.

"I just can't believe dat I am here, wid you. I mean, Remy teased me for years bout dat silly crush I had, an' now her I am – an' here you are – an' here we are, an I am still pinchin myself."

"Michelle, what happened wasn't a 'crush,' it was your Y factor reacting. I have never heard of it reacting long distance like that, but it happened, we know it happened, and it is not something you should be ashamed of." He squeezed the hand under his arm. "But we are not talking about Y factors, or the UN, or the school tonight." He smiled down at her.

He seated her at the table, and then sat down himself. Kurt popped in with their appetizers.

"Tell me about yourself, Michelle."

"Der ain't much to tell. I don' know notin bout mes parents. De earlies ting I remember is bein in a room wid a bunch of other kids an' no adult around. I tink it was some kinda group home or someting. Den dey started puttin me in foster homes, but dos were short, especially after de claws started showin up. I ran away at eleven, lived on de streets for several months a'fore Remy found me. Den I lived wid te gang." She was looking at her plate, picking at her food. He knew this was hard for her, but he wanted to know, and in her own words, not what he had been able to find out.

"We were de famille, Remy was de oldes, I still not sure how old he is, der were a few older dan me, but not by much. Some of dem left went out on der own. As my senses got better I could tell who would be a better mark, I tink by smell, maybe, an' Remy an me were a team. We did what we had to, to feed dos kids – a vivre."

"You did very well. Charles had managed to find most of the children and has had them moved into homes, those who are mutant; many of them will be starting school here in the fall."

She looked up at him, and smiled. He took a deep breath, just enjoying the beauty of that one expression. "Tank you."

"No, not me, Charles; he insisted on doing it, after talking to Remy."

She stood up and walked around the table. He tried to stand, but she moved faster than he, she leaned down and kissed him, gently on the cheek. "No, tank you – fo' bein you." He couldn't stop himself, he pulled her down into his lap, wrapping his arms around her and just holding her.

"It is I who should be expressing my gratitude to you. You are my heart – my soul; you hold in your hands all that I am, all that I ever will be. You make me strong, you make me weak, you make me fierce, and you make me very – very afraid. I feel I cannot breathe if you are not in the room, and you take my breath away when you are there." He placed a chaste kiss on the top of her hair. "You are my Chere, mi amour."

She looked up at him, and smiled. He leaned down, gently capturing her soft mouth with his. He couldn't stop himself. His body tingled, a chaste kiss wasn't enough, and against his better judgment he deepened the kiss, taking that first taste of her sweet mouth. Her hands were tangled in his hair, and his in hers, it was her hair's silk that kept him from exploring further, and it was the sudden 'bamphf" of Kurt popping in with the main course that separated them.

"Dinner is served." He said with a knowing smile, and disappeared as quickly. Michelle stood up, and straightened her dress, and returned to the seat across from him. She smiled at the dinner before her. He had tried, hard to think of something she would eat, lobster in the shell, baked pears still in the skin, and stuffed manicotti. He watched her a moment, before she popped a single claw, and cracked open the lobster shell. She blushed and looked up at him. He just smiled. Her method was much neater than what he did, which was cracking it with a nutcracker. They both laughed, and ate in relative silence, much more relaxed.

"Now I can't take credit for desert." Hank said, she looked at him curiously. Kurt popped in and set a dish covered with a silver dome on the table. He grinned and popped out. He reached over and lifted the lid. Inside, each still in their own individual wrappers, was a pile of Twinkies. "My favorite."

He watched as she burst out laughing. The sound was like liquid fire in his blood. He used his considerable will power to cool the fire. She wasn't ready, and he wasn't going to rush her. They had the rest of the evening – the rest of their lives – they were in no rush.

They talked while they unwrapped the crème filled sponge cakes, and then he stood and held out a hand. "May I have this dance?"

She laughed and took his hand, she didn't hear any music, he tapped the small device under the table and the night was filled with strings. He pulled her into his arms, the music a perfect counterpoint to the pounding of his heart, and they danced – all evening.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The last few days had been crazy. Kit was moving on fast forward, everything was being planned and organized around him, and he felt totally out of control. He had just wanted to go down to the courthouse, and get this over with, but no, Jean and Ororo refused to allow that. Vic and Mia had done it, and _they_ were not about to lose out – again – on planning a wedding.

So here he was standing in front of the mirror, in one of the damned guest bedrooms – again – because of that damned can't see the bride before the wedding crap – trying to tie a damned bow tie. His hands were shaking so badly he couldn't even get the first knot tied. He needed a drink, bad.

Vic had dragged him, and Scott and Frank and Hank out to Hardcase's bar last night. It wasn't much of a bachelor party but they managed to make some money shooting pool and teach some of the college kid wannabe rough types how to have a bar fight. He was just glad he had healed up. Scooter had woken up with a hangover this morning, and he had enjoyed that immensely. Frank still had a split lip but the swelling was down, when he saw his future father in law at breakfast. Healing factors were good for some things. He grinned, and tried to tie the knot again. SHIT! He clenched his fists to try to stop them shaking.

There was a knock on the door. He turned and saw Franklin standing there. Oh hell, now he was going to have to deal with the father-of-the-bride speech. He smiled and waved him into the room.

"Need some help?" Frank pointed to the hanging piece of cloth at his neck.

"Do you know how to tie this damned thing?" Logan asked. He liked Frank, he was a good man. He hadn't told him, but he actually remembered the fight in the cages all those years ago. Frank had been a snot nosed kid who needed a lesson – a lesson he had learned very well – a lesson Logan was grateful that he had been able to teach.

Frank laughed and walked over. He reached out and took the ends of the tie. Suddenly that look was in the other man's eyes and Logan had a strange thought that this wasn't such a good idea. Frank had almost won that fight, Logan had popped his claws to win.

"You know, I couldn't tie mine on my wedding day either. I think if you could, I would change my mind about the whole thing and drag Kit the hell out of here." He grinned. Logan chuckled. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"Hank had to tie mine. I was probably as nervous with his hands at my throat – as you are with mine."

"Na…I am worse." Logan chuckled. "Hank wasn't Nancy's father."

"I only have two things to tell you, Logan. That's my baby out there, I trusted you with her safety – her heart – and now with her entire life – you screw up, you face me." That look was back, the look of the cage fighter from so many years ago. "The other thing is don't ever – EVER forget how to laugh again, the old saying is very true, laughter is the best medicine, but love is just as good."

Logan felt strange as Frank pulled him into a hug. "Welcome to the family, son, and don't give me the crap about being older than I am, you are marrying my daughter, asshole."

The two men laughed and Logan looked in the mirror. The tie was perfect, not too tight, straight, and elegant – kind of like the man who had tied it. "I don't have a problem with that at all, Frank, but I ain't callin ya dad."

"I should hope not! Let's get you downstairs so we can get this fiasco over with."

They walked down the stairs. Vic had thought he had gotten away with not having to wear a monkey suit…Logan had fixed that, he was his best man. That was a little strange to him, but somehow it felt right. The two of them were going to have really strange stories to tell their kids.

Logan felt a stab right through the chest, shit! He shook his head, trying to clear the moisture from his eyes. He had promised himself not to think about it today. It had been on his mind since the day of the battle, every day – every night. He had new nightmares now – of holding a child in his arms, Kit asleep next to him, and having it ripped away – his child, Kit's child. He had to stop this. There would be other chances, Jean said Kit was healthy, strong, and it was just something that happened, but he still somehow thought it was his fault, that because he couldn't tell her how much he HAD wanted that child, that she hadn't been as careful.

Frank looked back at him. "Logan, I know that feeling. Nancy and I lost two before Kit was born." Logan looked at Frank in surprise. He didn't know that they knew. "We lost the first one three days after our wedding. It was rough, but we got through, and so will you. You have to learn to let the past be the past and live for the present and the future. The past will always be there ready for you to pick apart, but where is the adventure in that?"

His father in law put his arm around his shoulders and they walked out into the spring garden together. Kurt was in fine form, and ready to do his part. Frank left him at the entrance to the aisle and went into the small bridal tent nearby. At the front, near the altar, Victor was grumbling and pulling on his tie, but he was there – and in a monkey suit. Logan grinned at the big guy.

He walked up to the altar, Vic growling at him as he approached.

"I thought I avoided this shit." Even Logan could tell he wasn't hurting that bad.

"Tough luck, that's what ya get for marring my fiancé's sister."

"Fuck you." Victor grinned at him. Logan noticed he seemed much more relaxed.

"You're in a better mood." Logan teased.

"Yea, your point is."

"Nothin." Logan said, grinning. He could smell Mia all over Victor. Someone had fun last night.

The sudden chord of music sounded and they all took their places. He turned and looked back down the aisle. The traditional music started, and Marie walked down the aisle, he couldn't remember the last time she showed that much skin. The emerald dress was stunning on her, on shoulder bare - NO gloves – a slit up the side, and he noticed flashes of skin as she walked. What the hell was she up to? HE didn't want anyone dead at his wedding. She just smiled at him, and before she reached the altar, she stopped and looked right at Remy sitting on the aisle. She leaned down and placed one bare hand on his cheek, and her lips gently on the other one, and then finished her walk down the aisle and took her place.

Logan had to grin at the stunned look on the Cajun's face. So she finally did it – got control over that damned skin of hers.

The march started, and his breath stopped. She was beautiful, standing there on her father's arm, she had chosen a very simple dress, but he couldn't tell you what it looked like, all he could see was her. Every step down the aisle was a memory. From when he first caught her scent, that first night, in the room with Marie and Jubilee – walking into the room, the smell of fresh blood still on her from her appointment with Hank, the first time she called him Jerk. In the dining room, laughing at him, pushing him to try to intimidate her – in the gym, moving with a grace he had never seen, that everyone said she borrowed from him. The night of the Professor's party, playing in the rec room, dancing, and then in his arms – that first kiss, he could still taste that kiss. In the danger room observation bay and later in the hall, when he had wanted to go to her, but Marie pulled her away. The morning he came home to her, lying in bed, half covered, wearing one of his old T shirts, and then later in his room, in his arms, the night in Vic and Mia's living room floor, wrestling, tickling and laughing together.

And then she was in front of him, beside him, Frank placing her hand in his as Kurt asked. "Who gives this woman to be married?"

"Her mother and I do." Frank said clearly, before sitting down next to his wife.

Everything after that was a blur. She was his, finally and completely his and nothing was ever going to take her away. The future looked bright, and Frank was right, there was no adventure in reliving the past, it was the future that was going to be an adventure.


	14. Ace of Spades

The Y Factor

Sequel to The Mirror. FOH on the rise, two new mutants come to Xaviers to stir things up.

I only own Kit, Mia and family and now Mike. Anything else is property of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and Fox Entertainment.

Ace of Spades

It had been eight months. Mike was settling in. She remembered her eighteenth birthday party. The entire mansion had been there, except Hank.

_"I am certain it had to be something important, Michelle." Professor Xavier said as she walked up the stairs, the party was still going in full swing, but she just didn't feel like being with the rest of the mansion's occupants tonight._

_She lay quietly on the bed, her eyes finally drifting closed, salty tears drying on her temples. She knew he had to go to New York, but today was her birthday. She knew it had been too good to be true. She was just a swamp rat, not good enough for him. She let her emptiness pull her into a disturbed sleep._

_She was warm, a soft warm breeze blowing against her cheek. She tried to roll over, to snuggle deeper into the warm blanket that covered her, but she couldn't move._

_"Michelle." She heard his voice, but didn't want to wake up, knowing it was just a dream_

_"Michelle, please…little one." She opened her eyes; he was leaning over her in the dark room. She let out a little squeal and threw her arms around his neck. He hadn't forgotten. She felt him pull her close against his chest, his hands stroking her back._

_"Michelle, there is something I need to discuss with you…and I need you cognizant and aware." He said his voice extremely serious. She nodded against his neck, not wanting to pull away. She felt a sudden spike of fear go through her. Was he going to tell her he didn't want her anymore?_

_"Michelle, please, my little love, please – look at me." She looked up into his smiling blue eyes, and relief flooded over her. He wouldn't be smiling like that if he was leaving her. She saw him glance over at the nightstand, her clock said eleven forty-five._

_"Fifteen minutes to do what I wanted to do today. I seem to have put myself into a bit of a time quandary. I shall have to abbreviate certain parts, for now."_

_"What are you talkin' 'bout?" She whispered._

_"Michelle, today you reach your majority, you have become marriageable, and…" He slid off the bed, and down on one knee beside it, taking one of her hands in his. "I am asking for the honor and privilege of being your husband, if you will have me." He slipped a simple ring onto her hand. _

The rest of the night she hadn't gotten much sleep, but who needed sleep when you had two hundred pounds of male feral to please. Being Mrs. Hank McCoy wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. They lived most of the time at the Mansion, she attended functions at the UN if he needed her to, but she was enrolled in classes at the university, and didn't have a whole lot of time. She was majoring in political science.

She was watching CNN in the rec room when she heard a noise in the entry hall.

"Mike, Remy need help, non?" Remy rushed into the room.

"What is it now, Marie want you to go pick out de curtains or something?"

"Non."

He looked scared. She had never seen Remy actually scared before. "What is it, frère?"

"It's Belle – she sick. She's comin here, I don' know how de Rogue gona like dis, I mean my ex wife not exac'ly gona be welcome company, non?"

"Remy LeBeau, you get you'self in mo' trouble – what wrong wid da Belle."

"She didn' say. Jes dat she sick bad and need help."

There was a sudden loud burst of music, and breaking news across the screen. It looked like Belle wasn't the only one who was sick.

"…epidemic. It appears that most of those who have become ill are mutants. They symptoms are flu like at first, and then large sores that break out on the skin, eventually the hardest hit cases have slipped into comas. There have been six reported deaths just today from this disease."

The camera cut to a discussion panel. "…and I say it is a message from God. Mutants are a menace, they are an abomination in the eyes of God and he has sent this plague to wipe them from the place of the planet." Why they put that idiot head of the Church of Humanity on these panels, Mike had no idea.

Mike picked up the remote, turning up the volume as people began slowly trickling into the rec room. Hank walked in and sat down next to Mike, putting his arm around her.

"Dear Lord in Heaven…" The Professor's soft voice echoed in the quiet room. Everyone sat stunned. After all they had been through, now there was a disease targeted directly at them.

They all looked at the Professor. "The school will continue as usual. We cannot allow this to frighten us, to prevent us from helping those in need." Mike leaned on her new husband. Dear Lord in Heaven indeed.

A/N YES there will be a third book…I am in the process of outlining it, and will get it started as soon as I finish the second draft of the Y factor. Chapter updates will be made, just like with Mirror, with the second draft manuscript. Please be patient, all will be explained in time.


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